1/31/18 O&A NYC FOOD FOR YOUR SUPER BOWL PARTY: Buffalo Chicken Sliders

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Super Bowl Game time food should not keep you in the kitchen after the first coin toss. Pile small, plush rolls high with everything you love about Buffalo chicken: blue cheese, ranch dressing and, of course, the fiery Buffalo chicken.  Continue reading

12/29/15 O&A NYC Festive Edibles: Starting A New Holiday Tradition- Pot Brownies

 By Walter Rutledge

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The holiday season is all about tradition. Getting together and sharing time with family and friends is what the holidays are all about. If baking and getting stoned are on your list of the holiday festivities why not combine the two into a new holiday tradition- Pot Brownies. Baking marijuana edible can also be a holiday peacekeeper, because if you don’t get help baking, after eating a brownie or two you won’t care. Continue reading

9/6/15 O&A NYC Food: Mudslide Poptail A Labor Day Treat

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With Labor Day- the unofficial end of summer just a day away its usually the time to spark up the grill or hit the beach once last time. This year Mother Nature has decided to keep the summer heat around a little while longer, so why not end our extended summer with a fun poptail. The Mudslide Poptail  is a fun twist on a traditional mudslide.

Mudslide Poptail

18 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 banana, medium size (2oz)
3 oz. vodka
3 oz. Kahlua
3 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
3 tablespoons grated chocolate

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, about 1-2minutes.

2. Freeze for about 1 hour or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 5-7 seconds.

Get your mixing hands ready for this mudslide with a twist. We went and added a banana in the mix. The sweetness of the banana neutralizes any tang the vanilla yogurt body may have, and adds a bit of creaminess to the mixture. While we were at it, we also threw in some grated chocolate for added flavor and texture.

 

 

 

7/6/15 O&A Hollywood Monday: Halle Berry- Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (excerpts)

Hollywood Mondays

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Introducing Dorothy Dandridge is the 1999 biography of Dorothy Dandridge follows her career through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies, including becoming the first black actress to win a Best Actress Nomination in 1954 for “Carmen Jones”, to her death from prescription drugs, which remains debated whether it was suicide or accidental. In 2000 production won five Emmy Awards including Outstanding Art Direction, Cinematography, Costumes, Hairstyling and Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie—Halle Berry.  Continue reading

6/16/15 O&A With WaleStylez: Kayne West Ice Cream Week- O&A Style

By Adewale Adekanbi and Walter Rutledge

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How could Nicholas Morgenstern ever top avocado-toast ice cream? In collaboration with First We Feast, he’s hosted a very special Kanye West Ice Cream Week.  Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream will sell special sundaes all inspired by what West’s fantasy ice-cream parlor might look like.

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The offerings included Kim Kardashian Thirst Trap Sundae (sesame-caramel ice cream with Champagne-caramel sauce and whipped cream), All Day Vanilla Ice-Cream Cake (vanilla cake, vanilla ice cream), and, best of all, I Am a God Ice Cream Croissantwich: vanilla ice cream stuffed inside a custom-made Arcade Bakery  croissant.

For the fun of it lets imagine what Kayne West Ice Cream Week could look like without a reality check:

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1. The Happy Host – Kayne himself will coop up his Yeezy frozen favorites:

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2. The Kim K Double Scoop- A full double scoop of Ass Munch favored imitation chocolate ice cream (10 per cent milk, and 90 percent cellulite). Try sprinkling on some Ray J nuts for a salty bite. 

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3. Kanye’s Drippy Cone- Comes with a shot of penicillin.

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4. Kanye West Yeezy 2 Red October Sundae Overpriced and overrated, will put inches on your waist while slimming your wallet. 

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5. The Kayne West Ice Cream Week Motto: Now go punch a photographer

 

 

5/23/15 Its Saturday- Anything Goes: London Broil – An Ideal Addition To Memorial Day Grilling

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It’s finally here! Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of the summer season. And it is also the start of the outdoor grilling season. Grilling just doesn’t need to be confined to chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, London Broil is an ideal addition to your barbeque menu.

What exactly is a London Broil? A London Broil can be defined two ways- one: is a cooking method; two: a specific cut of meat. London Broil is a flank steak or top round steak dish that, when cooked correctly, is filling, flavorful, and nutritious. Though the London Broil can be cooked in several different ways, marinating and slow-grilling the steak is an easy way to give it a great texture and flavor. Here are a few suggestions to grilling a London Broil.

111121 Beef Top Round London Broil Cut in Half

 

1. Buy good-quality steak.
There’s no way around it: if you use high-quality meat, it’s much easier to get a good-tasting result than if you use mediocre meat. While good chefs can make a tasty London Broil from a cheap piece of meat, this can be challenging, so opt for a high-grade piece of beef whenever you can. If you’re unsure of which cuts of flank steak are the best, talk to your local butcher.

In the U.S., the United States Department of Agriculture grades most beef as “Select”, “Choice”, or “Prime” (in order of increasing quality). “Prime” cuts are generally the most flavorful and well-marbled, so you’ll want to spring for these if they’re available.

Note that some butchers may label a cut of meat called top round steak as London Broil, rather than flank steak.

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2. Tenderize your Steak.
Flank steak sometimes has an unfair reputation as a tough, chewy, and flavorless cut of meat. However, this is only true if the meat is poorly-prepared. There are a number of ways to make flank steak tender before you even begin to cook it. The easiest way is to hit it with a tenderizing mallet on a clean cutting board. This breaks up the meat’s tough muscle fibers, giving it a softer texture.

Don’t use powdered meat tenderizers or tenderizing compounds containing extracts from papaya or pineapple fruits. These are tricky to use correctly and can sometimes tenderize the meat unevenly, giving it a mushy exterior and a tough interior.

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3. Marinate your Steak.
Banging your flank steak with a hammer isn’t the only way to make it tender. Flank steaks can benefit greatly by soaking them in a marinade before cooking — doing this not only gives the meat a chance to absorb the marinade’s flavor, but also tenderizes it slightly (though this isn’t true 100% of the time).

To help the flank steak absorb its marinade, score your meat before marinating it. Use a sharp knife to make a few X-shaped cuts on the surface of the meat about a half-inch or so deep before applying the marinade. Put the steak in an airtight plastic bag, pour the liquid marinade ingredients over it to cover it and seal the bag. Leave it in the fridge for at least a few hours turning the bag over 2 times.. Usually, about half a day of marinating will allow the meat to absorb as much flavor as possible. 

Tequila Jalapeño Marinade

1 cup tequila

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup teriyaki sauce

1 clove garlic

1/4 sesame oil

1/4 sauce Worcestershire sauce


Salt and pepper to taste

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4. Heat your grill.
When your meat has marinaded a sufficient length of time, remove it from the refrigerator and let it start to warm to room temperature. While you wait, start your grill.  First brush the grill with a light coating of Olive Oil, let it reach a medium heat before you start to cook your meat — you want the grill hot enough to give the meat an initial “searing”, but not so hot that it dries out your meat during cooking.

For optimal tenderness, you want to use long, slow cooking after the initial sear. On a gas grill, this is easy — simply set one burner to “medium” and one to “low”. On a charcoal grill, this is a little trickier — you want to make a large pile of charcoals on one side of the grill and a small one on the other side.

For charcoal grills, don’t forget that the charcoals aren’t ready to cook when they’re flaming, but rather, when they’re ashed-over and exuding an orange glow.

 

5/9/15 O&A It’s Saturday- Anything Goes: Mother’s Day Brunch

Sunday Brunch Spread at Peacock Alley

Happy Mother’s Day! It Moms day so why not treat her to brunch? There are great places throughout New York City to share this special day with the special lady in your life. O&A NYC Magazine highlights four restaurants, that exemplify the diversity of  our great city.

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5 and Diamond, 2072 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (112-113th), is an quaint uptown eatery. The brunch menu has quite a few options including classics like French Toast, Harlem inspired Pancakes with Fried Chicken and Maple Syrup, and Low Country South Carolina Shrimp and Grits. There is an unlimited brunch cocktail option with any entree for an additional $16. For Brunch reservations, call or text Malandra at 917 514 6962

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Char No. 4, 196 Smith Street, Brooklyn, is located in a 19th century row house in Cobble Hill Brooklyn. Southern dishes and hospitality are the norm serving biscuits Benedict with smoked ham and sausage gravy, buttermilk pancakes with apples, and BBQ brisket hash to early (and not-so-early) risers. Whiskey is the house specialty, so make sure to try the chipotle-bourbon Bloody Mary or the whiskey milk fizz (Jack Daniel’s, cream, mample syrup, Amaretto and nutmeg). Brunch is served from 10am – 4pm for reservations call (718) 643-2106. 

Char No. 4 Brunch Menu

Blueberry Pancakes Maple Butter /13
Biscuits Benedict Smoked Ham, Poached Eggs & Mornay Sauce / 14
Mushroom, Kale & Cheddar Fritatta Crispy Fingerling Potatoes & Green Salad / 15
Pulled Pork & Cheese Grits Braised Collard Greens & Poached Eggs / 16
Poached Eggs Bacon-Cheddar Grits / 10
Pulled Pork Sandwich Kale Slaw, Jalepeño Mayo & Barbecue Chips / 14
Butter Lettuce Salad Sunflower Seeds, Sheep’s Milk Cheese & Sherry Vinagrette / 10
Smoked Ham, Egg & Cheese Sandwich Pickled Onions, Garlic Mayo & Crispy Potatoes / 14

Two Eggs Sunny Side Up
Crispy Potatoes, Pork Sausage & a Buttermilk Biscuit
includes coffee & a glass of orange juice / 16

Thick Cut Bacon /5
Buttermilk Biscuit Maple Butter / 4
Pork Sausage / 5
Crispy Potatoes / 6
Cheese Grits / 5

Chipotle Bourbon Bloody Mary / 8
Mimosa /7
Hound Dog / 10
Grapefruit juice, lime, mint, honey, bourbon
Louisville Sunset / 10
Pineapple juice, cranberry, lime, bourbon
Whiskey Milk Fizz / 10
Jack Daniel’s, almond, nutmeg

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The Creek and the Cave, 10-93 Jackson Avenue, Queens, is a chill dining experience filled with burritos, tacos and fantastic huevos rancheros, visit this Long Island City restaurant and comedy theater, which houses two stages and a separate dining area. At each table you’ll get unlimited tortilla chips and homemade salsa. Check out the patio or the downstairs bar and performance space, which hosts a variety of acts. The kitchen serves all kinds of savory Tex-Mex standbys, but for a twist, try the “yoga” burrito (avocado and fresh goat cheese) or the seafood burrito (fried shrimp or fish with wasabi sauce).

The Creek and the Cave Brunch Menu

HUEVOS RANCHEROS 9.95
A delicious stack of scrambled eggs, melted cheese, black beans, and guacamole, served on crispy corn tortilla with sour cream and your choice of salsa verde or chipotle

CHILAQUILES 9.95
Two eggs sunny side up with grilled skirt steak served with tortillas soaked in salsa verde with a drizzle of sour cream

BREAKFAST BURRITO 10.95
Eggs, homemade pico de gallo, with cheese and sour cream wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with your choice of grilled skirt steak or chorizo sausage.

THE CREEK BREAKFAST 8.95
Two scrambled eggs, threes slices of crisp bacon & home fries.

SAUSAGE GRAVY & BISCUITS 6.95
(WEEKENDS ONLY) Two large, flaky biscuits smothered in a down home sawmill gravy with Chorizo made right here at The Creek.

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Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria offer a Sunday Brunch that is truly a dedicant treat. Located in the lobby area (near the famous clock) of the Waldorf Astoria you will find one of the most sumptuous brunches in all of New York City. Sunday brunch at Peacock Alley is legendary offering diners an array of choices from lobster and caviar to mimosas and champagne; and, of course, breakfast favorites such as Eggs Benedict are also available. 

The Brunch at Peacock Alley

The Brunch is $98 per adult, $65 per child (ages 5-12), plus taxes and gratuity, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm (final seating). Reservations are strongly recommended especially during peak times such as Thanksgiving weekend and Mother’s Day. Reservations can be made via OpenTable.com: http://www.opentable.com/peacock-alley or by calling (212) 872-4895. Jackets are requested for gentlemen but, not required.

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O&A NYC Magazine

Wishes you a Happy Mother’s Day

 Bon Appétit 

2/23/15 O&A With Walestylez- Dining Out Nigerian Style In Brooklyn

By Adewale Adekanbi

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New Combination/V Chris Restaurant Inc. located at 568 Utica Avenue between Rutland Road and Winthrop Street has been serving some of the best Nigerian cuisine in Brooklyn since 2000. This small storefront restaurant is one of the best kept secrets in East Flatbush. Continue reading

2/13/18 (Repost) O&A VALENTINE’S DAY WITH RITA RUBINO: Imbibe the Vibe of Love A Simple Aphrodisiac to Warm Someone’s Heart

By Rita Rubino

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Imbibe the Vibe of Love
A Simple Aphrodisiac to Warm Someone’s Heart

It’s cold out there! Feel like staying in? Why not cozy up on the couch, stream a movie, pop some corn and warm up with an inviting spiced mulled wine. Continue reading