Recipe:
Burgundy Blues Cupcakes
from Cupcakes Galore

makes 12 cupcakes

3/4 c flour
1 t b.powder
1/2 t salt
1Tcocoa powder
1T sugar
1 t cinnamon
1stick butter
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c dry red wine
2 oz grated dark chocolate

glaze:
3 oz dark chocolate
2 T butter
1 T corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix first 6 ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and 1/2 c sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternately beat in flour mixture and wine. Flod in grated chocolate. Spoon batter into cupcake paper, filling cups about 2/3 full. bake 20 min. remove and cool.
for glaze: melt chocolate and butter in a bowl set on a pot of boiling water (or microwave, if you have one). dont over heat, just untill melted, stirring occationally. take off heat and add in corn syrup. mix it up, and then dip the top of cupcake in glaze and spread around a bit. enjoy!

Recipe: Raw Carrot Salad
this is based from a Moroccan recipe I found at epicurious.com
I served it with Morroccan chicken and couscous with Grammie's recipe for date cake for dessert. But, I think it would also be an interesting thing to bring to pot luck

1# carrots, peelled and coarsely grated
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1/4 cu chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced or put through press
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t paprika
dash of salt

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Cover and let marinate 2hours - 2 days in fridge. I served it at room temp, but it could be served cold as well. Enjoy! (serves 4)

Review: Yaffa's
353 Greenwich St.
between Harrison and Jay Sts.
(tribeca)

This place was suggested when I was looking for an outdoors spot not too far from work. It was the most realistic price range for a Monday night dinner, and I was intrigued by the menu. TS and I didnt have to wait too long for a table along Greenwich St, with an interesting menu to browse. The place wasnt too noisy (as many sidewalk dining experiences can be), and the service didnt forget about the outside diners. Entering the indoors to find the Ladies' room, I was a little disappointed with the decor but overall a great place for drinks or dinner.

What I had: Guiness braised beef stew with mashed potatoes and apples (everything was mixed in one bowl . . . it was good, but kind of heavy) and Cote de Rhone red wine. We started with herb and walnut crusted goat cheese on fresh tomato sauce with bread toasts.

Recipe: Lu's Granola
based, sort-of, on a recipe I found on allrecipes.com called Megan's granola

this makes a LOT of granola, enough to fill a big canister for yourself, a big canister for a good friend and a mini canister for a second tier friend :)

one canister original oatmeal (not quick oats)
3/4 c oat bran
3/4 c wheat germ
1 c chopped almonds
1 c chopped pecans

1/4 c honey
1/8 c maple syrup (yes, the real stuff)
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon

3/4 c raisins
3/4 c chopped dried apples

mix the first part in a big bowl. in a saucepan put all of the second portion (not the oats mix), on medium heat, bring to a boil while stirring. Pour over oats mix, mixing untill covered. Pour on a foil or parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 375 for 20 min, stirring once. Let cool, pour into big bowl, mixing with dried fruit, store in air-tight canister. Enjoy! (great with yogurt in the morning!)

Review: Marseille
630 9th Avenue, at 44th
Manhattan

This was the perfect pre-matine brunch spot. The weather was gorgeous, so of course we sat outside, but the inside was like stepping back to NY days of yor.
The service was a bit shody, the busboy actually gave N a dirty look when we told him the air conditioner above us was dripping on us. However, the price was right for theatre district-ish brunch and creative Mediterranian versions of the basic brunch menu too.

What I had: a Moroccan omlette (with tomatoes, spicy peppers, olives and feta), served with greens and potatos (that had a deliteful dusting of pesto), and iced coffee.

Review: luna grill
if your visiting DC and looking for a brunch spot in Dupont Circle, I would vote to try someplace else

The service was very slow, the food mediocre, the bathroom was broken so I had to walk down to Starbucks to pee. I will say it was nice to be outdoors and the company was splendid.

What I had: coffee, omlet with brocolli, tomatoes, cheddar and wheat toast. (TS had a greasy portobello sandwich)

Recipe: Pecan crusted chicken / Salad with maple bbq dressing
basically hi-jacked from Rachel Ray

For the Chicken:
1 pound chicken tenders
~1C flour
1 egg
~1 c finely chopped pecans
~1c bread crumbs
1/4 t nutmeg
1T orange zest
oil for cooking (~1/4c)
put the flour in bowl #1, egg, beaten, in bowl #2, and pecans, bread crumbs, nutmeg and orange zest in bowl #3. Dip chicken in bowl 1, then 2, then 3.
Heat oil in frying pan, place 1/2 chicken pieces cook ~3 min, turn, ~3min more. remove cover to keep warm, cook 2nd batch of chicken.

For the Salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce, washed, dried, torn
6 spring onions, chopped
6 radishes, sliced

For the Dressing:
juice of one orange
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c bbq sauce
1/4 c olive oil
mix the first 3 ingredients together, then whisk in the oil.