Dinner Date with John

John took me to Raoul's for dinner tonight, a French restaurant across the street from our apartment. In all the seven years that I have been coming to New York, I've probably walked by this restaurant a million times, but never tried it until tonight. It was delicious! I had the steak au poive with pomme frites and it was fantastic.

This restaurant was also used for a scene in the "Sex in the City" movie. It was used for the Valentine's Day night where Miranda and Carrie meet for dinner and then have a fight. John was actually an extra in this scene (a single guy sitting at the bar alone), but they cut the shots he was in. But he was in the room for that entire scene!

I wish I could take credit for these pictures, but I found them on Google. I like the picture above because it's the scene I see everyday when I walk out of the aparment.


I also found this picture from Raoul's website which is the exact view of the restaurant we had from our booth.

Flowers from John

Look what John brought home for me last night...

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

This recipe was featured in the January/February issue of Cook's Illustrated earlier this year. I've been saving it for a cold autumnal day just like today and it turned out fabulous! The fresh sage leaves lightly fried with the bacon was probably the best part, but it was all delicous.
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
1/2 lb penne pasta
4 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces
8 large fresh sage leaves, plus 1 tbsp freshly minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 tbps unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Cook penne pasta. Drain, coat with olive oil to keep from sticking, cover, and set aside.

Cook bacon in large soup pot over medium heat until crisp and brown. Add whole sage leaves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove bacon and sage with slotted spoon.

Return soup pot to heat and add olive oil to bacon drippings. Add squash and cook without stirring, until beginning to caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add butter, allowing to melt about 30 seconds. Add scallions, nutmeg, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp pepper, and minced sage; cook, stirring occasionally, until scallions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to simmer, continue to cook until squash is tender, 1 to 3 minutes longer.

Add pasta to squash mixture; stir in 2 tbsp Parmesan chees, lemon juice, reserved bacon and sage mixture, and almonds.

Melon Grape and Lime Salad

This is my own creation and it happens to be delicious! In my opinion, lime zest, lime juice, and honey can turn any fruit combination into fruit salad heaven!
Melon Grape and Lime Salad
3 cups canteloupe, cubed
2 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1 cup green grapes, halved
zest and juice from 1 lime
1 tbsp honey

Combine all ingredients. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Date Night with John

John and I had a fun date on Broadway tonight. We went to see The Lion King which was amazing!

This is a picture I took from the cab looking down 45th Street as we approached the theater.















This is the view from the 3rd floor lobby of the theater...Times Square!
After the show, I tried to take a picture of us in front of the marquee, but it didn't quite work.












Luckily someone passing offered to take the picture for us!

First Pair of Golashes

I got my first pair of golashes a few weeks ago. They're really a neccesity for living in the city with no car when it rains...especially when it's raining during Georgie's walk time! I've had several opportunities to wear them in the last few weeks including today. With my black golashes and tan rain coat, I'm color coordinated with Georgie's fur!

Guggenheim with Bijon and Alexis

Today we went to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Kandinsky exhibit. It was amazing! We met one of John's friends from high school, Bijon, who was visiting the city with his girlfriend, Alexis. Afterwards, we had the most delicious Cuban dinner together. This is all of us in the museum cafe.

John and Bijon

This is one of the Kandinsky paintings we saw today. It's always been one of my favorites!