Delicious Slyce!

PL here -

Tina and I had a scrumptious dinner last night as the just-opened Slyce, which serves much more than pizza, though you can get that there, too.

Slyce is a cosy, cool remake of Ciccone's, next door to Slyce, run by Anthony and Phil Ciccone.  The original restaurant was already excellent, but the new rendition in Slyce serves out-of-the-ballpark delicious food.

We both started with a strawberry and arugula salad - light and mouthwatering.   Tina had the lasagna for her main course, which she loved.  I had the veal parmigian.

Let me tell you about that.  I've had dozens of slightly different veal parmagians over the years, like most devotees of Italian cuisine.  But I've never had anything as good as the veal last night in Slyce.  It was a veal chop, butterfly cut, and prepared with the perfect tomato sauce was which already a highlight at Chiccone's.   The veal was tender, sweet, and plentiful.

There lots of other choices on the menu and specials.  The paella looked tempting, as did the swordfish, and the four traditional chicken dishes.   Lots of good salad options, too.  The desserts are probably fabulous, but we were both too full, and, frankly, I wanted the veal parmigan taste going on for as long as possible.

At 27 Centre Street in Ardsley, NY, Slyce is well worth the trip is you're in the mood for affordable, outstanding dining or just a quick tasty bite.

Delicious Ink

PL here -

How could any writer resist writing about ink - especially the delicious kind that comes from the squid (aka calamari), and can infused into all manner of pasta?   I can't resist, hence -

I first had tagliatelle with squid ink - pictured here - at Puttanesca's on 9th Avenue in New York City a few years ago.  It was smooth, mouth-watering, like nothing else I'd ever tasted.  Hard to precisely describe a taste like nothing else, but squid ink is mildly sassy, low-key salty, and very satisfying.  I now order it any time it's on the menu.

The sauce, of course, can be made more zesty by the addition of other ingredients.  I prefer it as natural as possible.   Squid ink not only has a soft taste of the sea, but it has health benefits.  At least one study found that it has anti-carcinogenic properties.

All kinds of pasta can be made with squid ink.  The black ink can take a few days to work through your system, so not to worry.   But, trust me, if you're a lover of sea food, you'll order this any time it can be had.  Captain Nemo would approve.

Baked Pasta and Chicken: One-dish deliciousness

Hello again, Teevoz here .... we haven't forgotten you! I tend to do more cooking in the winter, don't you? Well, we had our first snowfall in New York this weekend, so I thought it was time to share some easy and delicious recipes for the winter with you, our very patient readers.



This one, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, is a seriously easy and incredibly delicious Italian baked pasta and chicken dish that will warm you up on a cold night. Make a salad while it's baking and you'll have dinner on the table in an hour.




Baked Pasta and Chicken

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.



1 cup dry mini fusilli or any small pasta

2 raw boneless chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
olive oil - try garlic-infused for extra flavor

1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
approx 1/2 to 3/4 cup good tomato sauce

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
salt and pepper - lemon pepper adds a nice flavor

topping:
approx 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
approx 1/2 cup grated parmesan
approx 1 to 2 tablespoons butter


1. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water, until al dente - about 5 minutes. Drain and put in large mixing bowl with a little butter or olive oil so it doesn't stick together.

2. Cut chicken into cubes and saute in olive oil, about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add onion and garlic to chicken, continue to saute until onion is soft and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Don't let the garlic get too brown or it will be bitter.

4. Add chicken mixture to the pasta and mix together with the tomatoes and their juice, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and basil or parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Add extra tomato sauce and/or some diced fresh tomatoes if needed - the mixture should be moist.

5. Transfer the pasta mixture to a buttered 8x8x2 baking dish. Cover the top with the bread crumb-parmesan mixture and generously dot the top with butter.

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the top forms a golden brown crust.

Serve with salad and a nice red wine - and enjoy!