Lincoln Center in the Evening

Just outside Lincoln Center is the infamous Empire Hotel. If you are in the area, I encourage you to go so you can say "I've been there!"

Suzee's Grapefruit Glazed Layer Cake

I was feeling a little restless today. There weren't any jobs posted that sounded interesting, the one contact I was able to connect with didn't have any time to chat today. Perhaps tomorrow.

I started browsing through the Foodbuzz Top 9, and came upon the number one today and it inspired me to make a cake. This is really not anything fancy - I had a cake mix in the cupboard for French Vanilla cake. I made it according to the directions (but if I do it again I would add a cup of sour cream like my MIL does - that adds a great crumb and moisture) in 2 eight inch round pans. I let it cool, and flipped one layer and placed it on the plate top side down. I added about a cup or so of Stonewall Kitchen's Mimosa Jam (oh my so delicious!) and spread it over the top of the lower layer. I put the next layer on top. Then I mixed about a cup and a half of confectioners sugar with about 2T of grapefruit juice, and mixed them together - it took some time, but don't add more liquid - it will come together. I tasted it and it needed something to cut the sweetness so I added a couple of scrapes of orange zest. That did the trick!

I drizzled the glaze over the top, and licked the spoon (yum!)

I hope you enjoy pairing these flavors - I'm in a big grapefruit phase - expect more :) xo

Suzee's Beef Stroganoff Soup

As a part of the Tastemakers Program with Foodbuzz, I was able to replentish my supplies of Lea and Perron's Worcestershire Sauce. I got my coupons for freebies, and shared them with my family.

My cousins, Denise and Ginny, always have great beef recipes using this really uniquely flavored condiment, and I think their mom, my Aunt Beth, would use this a lot too. It's that little something that makes you go hmmm.... yum! What is that??

I also like to make soups of the flavor of things that may be too rich to eat as just a dish. Adding water gives me more bites of delicious flavor :) So this experiment came out pretty good :)

Ingredients:
1 32 oz carton of Rachael Ray Beef Stock
1/2 lb browned ground beef
1 1/2 minced onion
10 oz package of button mushrooms, minced and sauteed
8 hefty shakes of Lea and Perron's Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C red wine
1/2 C brown rice (uncooked)
2 C water

sour cream to stir in at serving time.

Add all together and allow to cook for a few hours on low. It worked best for me to pop the pan in the oven on 300 and let it go :)

I read an interesting article from the magazine which is associated with America's Test Kitchen. They tested a number of beef broths, and the Rachael Ray Beef Stock In A Box won by a mile - she actually uses 2x the beef products to make the stock. I think it also really made a difference in this dish.

I like to leave the sour cream out until you serve it as then you can determine how much you want to add, and then of course it's easier to reheat as well :)

Enjoy!!

The Empire Hotel - Papparazzi Heaven

I went to the Empire Hotel rooftop bar to get this shot of the iconic sign. I reference the papparazzi because I think it is impossible to pick up a rag and not read about some big star partying there the week before. I went at around 7 pm, and I'm here to tell you, this is before blue hair time for the hip and happening for NYC :) Still, I enjoyed my cocktail, and the view :)

Here is my cocktail at the Empire Hotel Rooftop Lounge :)

STRAWBERRY FIELDS - Grey Goose Citron Vodka, fresh strawberries, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped with prosecco

I highly recommend it!

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre

I was just at the store because I needed some sour cream for my soup, and I walked by the beer aisle and this beer called me. "Suzee, Suzee - I am delicious and I won't be here when you come back later. Buy me! Buy me!" So, as you can imagine, I did.

I cracked it when I got home, and wow - it was so delicious! I looked on the Dogfish Head web site, and they suggested to drink it from a goblet or snifter, so I poured it into a wine glass. I was really surprised difference in flavor between a swig from the bottle and a sip from a glass! The ale beery bitterness cut through the lager like initial taste in the bottle. While I was on the web, I found that each bottle has 9% alcohol, and 220 calories (wow!), so take this in to consideration if you decide to have a second one :)

Really, this is a delightful beer - if you see it in the store, fork over that $14.00. You won't be sorry!

Suzee's New England Shepard's Pie

There is no lack of Irish Pubs serving Shepard's Pie in NYC, but none are the same dish Rick and I ate in the school cafeteria or that our mom's made when we were kids. Out and about this classic is made with carrots and peas (hello? where is the corn?), but perhaps that is because corn was a North American thing?

At any rate, if we want some of that original deliciousness, we gotta make it at home. And that's ok, because it is a homey meal :) This recipe serves 2, but you can easily make a larger portion and reheat for leftovers. Our problem would be we would eat it all if I made more than 2 servings!

Ingredients:
1/2 lb low fat hamburger
1 small or 1/2 large onion
1 can cream style corn
2 large or 3 small potatoes (I like yukon gold best for this)
1t olive oil
1T butter (salted please)
1/4 C milk or whatever you put in your coffee
1/2t garlic powder, divided

Method:
Peel the potatoes, and cut into similar sized pieces. Put them in a pot with water covering them, and boil while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Mince the onion small - you want a few onion pieces to be in every bite

Sautee the onion over low heat in the olive oil - allow it to go for a 1/2 hour or so, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and sweet

Move the onions into a bowl, and start browning the ground beef. Add almost all the garlic powder to the meat as it is browning. Once the meat is cooked through, add back the onions, mix and put the mixture in the bottom of the casserole (I use a 2 quart dish).

Check your potatoes - if they are cooked, turn off the stove, drain, and add the butter and milk to the pan along with the cooked potatoes. Put the top on the pan to keep warm.

Add the creamed corn over the beef mixture in the baking dish.

Mash the potatoes in the pan, and top the casserole with the potatoes.

I actually put the casserole in the fridge at this point, but you could pop it in the oven for 20 minutes and serve.

Since I took it out of a cold fridge, I baked for 50 min, covered at 350. It was really tasty :)

If I were to make any changes, it would be to add more corn to the mix - it adds this sweetness to the savory beef - really good!

Latest Family Shots

We got a family stop at Petey's. The softshell twins were down to $14.59! Everyone but Jill partook in these delicious crustacians. They were so sweet and delicious - don't miss them this season.

Jilly was excited and happy when I got to NH - she came with Grammy and Grampa to pick me up at the bus station. And that night we played, Jilly showed us her Tinkerbell pajamas and her favorite toys.

Jilly found some princess dresses in storage in the basement - always a good thing to shop in your own closet I say!

We went shopping at the mall to get a new winter coat - after a few days with no naps, it was a challenging trip, but I love this photo of Grammy and Jilly on their way to the store, hand in hand :)


One day it was rainy and not very nice out. Jilly and I went to Rumble Tumble, and she is big enough now that she can run around on her own. I was especially touched to see her helping a younger girl throught the big rumble tumble maze.