A Mid-Day Pick-Me-Up

The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy for me. So much so, I haven't had much time to blog, let alone eat.

Well, in truth I have eaten. Mostly, my diet has consisted of pretzels and other vending machine favourites, or good ol' cereal. There were also a couple of meals at home, but I've had to rush through them to get back to what I was doing.

So, today as I begrudgingly opened up my mundane, rather tasteless salad, I began reminiscing of my last grand meal. And, thanks to Mrs. L-G, I have pictures to bring those fond memories to life.

Several weeks ago, Mrs. L-G and I, along with our boys visited Craftsteak. Craftsteak is my absolute favourite steakhouse in New York. It's a stylish, modern and airy place that is perfect for languid, indulgent dining. Plus, the service is just excellent. The waiters are knowledgeable and dote on you from the moment you walk in to the moment you leave (even if you're the last table and they're just desperate to get home).

But, it's the food that keeps me going back. Here are some pics of our meal.

I ordered the grass-fed sirloin. The waiter explained that grass-fed beef is slightly leaner than corn-fed beef. It was served searing hot and sliced, which made it great for sharing.

The BEST onion rings I've ever had - and really the sole reason I keep going back to Craftsteak. I don't know how they do it, but the batter is incredibly crispy, while the onions remain firm to the bite and almost greaseless.

I've heard you can't have steak without potatoes. I don't eat potatoes, with the obvious exception of gnocchi. My generous dinner mates kindly ordered gnocchi instead of mashed or au gratin potatoes, so I could have a taste. They were buttery heaven!

We finished the meal off with a cheese platter that ranged from mild, soft goat cheese to a strikingly overpowering, hard cheese that I now forget the name of. There was also a sharp cheddar that had the table swooning. The accoutrements included walnuts, cherry tomatoes, marmalade, honey and bread.

Recreating Sunday Supper

I owe my love of food to my mother. But, I'll be honest, I didn't notice the impact she's had on my love affair until I moved too far to enjoy the magic that comes out of her kitchen.

I guess there's truth to that old adage about absence making your heart grow fonder.

Since moving, I've been trying to recapture the tastes, scents and traditions my mother set before me. Of all of them - there are far too many to list - my favourite is the tradition of Sunday lunch.

While growing up, Sundays were extra special. I'd awake to the wafting scent of my mother's sauce cooking and the rhythmic sounds of her kneading dough on the table in our basement. On these mornings, I'd quickly make my way to the kitchen to see what type of sauce was brewing. Was it good sauce - the type that can top any boxed pasta? Or was it Sunday sauce - a thick and meaty ragu that could only justly be paired with tender fresh pasta, or better yet, hearty gnocchi?

Then, I'd visit my mother to check out what type of pasta she was making. Mostly, it was fresh pasta, but on those extra special days, she was rolling out gnocchi.

The rest of the morning was spent waiting for those glorious words to be called: "Lunch is ready!" Once they were, my family would pile into the kitchen and gather around our growing table to enjoy each other's company and the food.

I awoke craving Sunday lunch yesterday morning. So, following in my mother's footsteps, I cleaned my potatoes and set them to boil, got my sauce going and then rolled out and shaped my gnocchi. I then spent the rest of the day finding things to do to work up an appetite.

This wasn't the first time I recreated the Sunday meal in my home, but it had been quite some time, so we just couldn't wait for the supper hour.

It was all worth the effort and the wait. The sauce - deeply red and thickly luxurious - was a perfect balance to the light and silky potato dumplings I made. They were fluffy pillows of heaven that set off an explosion of flavour in my mouth.

I think I'm a step closer to Mamma's greatness!