A Beef Stew Bread Bowl and Other Necessary Indulgences

Today was a day of total and uncompromising gluttony--also known as Football Sunday. Our good friends Lauren and Keith came by and joined us for some good ol' Football rivalry--Jets vs. the sad Fish. The eating started promptly at 1p and went on for the next four hours. Needless to say, we were zonked and consumed enough carbs for the whole week--but it was well worth it! Check out some of today's big touchdowns...

Beef & Beer Stew

I got this recipe from the December/January issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray (p. 61) and it was a big hit with our guests. My special twist? Putting the stew in a bread bowl! This was Dan's idea and it was right on. We tag-teamed the preparation, as Dan hollowed out 2 jumbo rounds of bread and then I filled them with the stew. Each couple shared a jumbo bread bowl, eating its delicious contents and then finishing off by devouring the bowl! Check out the recipe here. Alternative: Instead of serving the stew over mashed potatoes as the recipe suggests, I substituted with regular cubed potatoes and cooked them in the stew.

Panetone Bread Pudding:

Most of you know that I'm a dessert freak and need to end a good meal with something sweet. This Panetone Bread Pudding originated from a recipe by Dave Lieberman (Food Network Star) but morphed into my own creation, as I substituted Challah with Panetone--a luxurious Italian holiday bread. Lauren and Keith seemed to really enjoy it, especially since it was paired with a simple and classic standby--vanilla ice cream. See recipe here.

Note that I left out the raisins from this recipe since you get them right in the Panetone. Instead, I substituted with craisins--they add a nice tang. And because the Panetone is so sweet, I also decreased the amount of sugar by half and didn't bother making the chocolate ganache.

Enjoy!

Go Wasabi - Go, Go, Go Here!

Go Wasabi - 34-02 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103

718.204.7354

N/W Train to 30th Avenue

www.gowasabi.com

This Sushi establishment is a reliable staple when it comes to good Japanese food. Its interesting spin? Go Wasabi actually serves both Japanese AND Korean cuisine.

Atmosphere:

Located just 3 blocks from the N/W subway, Go Wasabi is hard to miss. When walking in, your attention immediately focuses on the piano--yes, they have live Jazz on Fridays and Saturdays. The decor is classic and sleek with shiny chrome chairs and tables. You won't get bored here; and even if you find yourself waiting for your dining companion, you can watch nostalgic cartoons on their flat screen TV. I think that I caught an episode of the Smurfs once!

Food:
You'll perhaps find this surprising, but I'm a major right wing Sushi conservative--no funky pink sushi with fisheads for me! Luckily for Sushi conservatives and liberals alike, Go Wasabi offers something for pretty much everyone. Click here for menu. I can always count on their hot Miso soup and Etamame to hold me over. My other conservative Sushi favorites such as California, avocado, cucumber and eel rolls are done right and recommended. A serious Sushi-head friend of mine once tried a very funky looking specialty roll--the Rainbow. She raved about it afterwards not only to me but spread the good word to others. An interesting alternative to Sushi is the Korean food--you can order hearty Korean bbq beef or your choice of chicken, beef, seafood or tofu in a hot stone pot.

Want to take the flavor of Go Wasabi with you? Buy their very own Sesame and Ginger salad dressing!

Service and Price:

The waitstaff here is lovely. They're polite, courteous and always smiling. Who doesn't want to get served by someone like that? The prices are very reasonable--appetizers range from $3.45-$7.95, basic rolls from $3.45-$6.45, specialty rolls from $3.95-$9.95 and Korean entrees from $12.95-$15.95.

One last thing to note--check out Go Wasabi's sibling on Ditmars Blvd.