Calamari Competition: Lugo Caffe vs. Andy's Homemade

I first fell in love with calamari in 2006 when I began waitressing at an Italian restaurant in the West Village and we would constantly serve baskets of warm calamari with lemon and marinara sauce. My good friend, Andy, is also a huge calamari fan and has a favorite place to go for the city's best. It's called Lugo Caffe. Earlier in the week, Andy made his own calamari which was delicious and flavorful. The batter wasn't sticking as well because it was difficult to get the oil as hot enough. He fried the calamari in oil with garlic pieces and parsley, definitely a great addition. I really enjoyed the fleshiness of Andy's calamari and I actually prefer less batter. Here is a picture of his calamari on the rack as it is drying:

A couple days later, I met Andy for an dinner at Lugo Caffe. This restaurant is unassumingly delicious and nice. It is awkwardly located right by Penn Station so you would never think to hang around there for such a great meal. The restaurant is nice and airy, the service is excellent and the food is great! We ordered a few different items to share but the main thing was the calamari (pictured above). This was definitely delicious calamari with a proper appreciation for the batter. I can't say that it was better than Andy's because it was a different type of calamari all together. They were both really delicious but since most of you will not be going to Andy's for calamari, go to Lugo Caffe for a comparable substitute. In addition to our calamari we ordered a delicious robiola pizza. It was essentially flatbread with truffle oil, sea salt and preserved truffles. It was delicious. We also ordered three sides of cooked vegetables: brussle sprouts, portabella mushrooms and eggplant. Here is a photo of all the delicious food. The pizza is on top :)

Crisy Kale Chips

Simple easy yummy spring snack that tastes a little bit like dried seaweed! These are probably the most crumbly crisps you'll ever have; there is no way to keep it clean. They taste great with hummus or a sort of tzadiki sauce and it's a great way to get your dark leafy greens without the bitter flavor. Simply take some pieces of fresh kale and sprinkle them with olive oil and garlic powder and maybe some cracked pepper and bake them in the oven at 450 degrees for 7-12 minutes. Take them out and enjoy!

                                      

Tuna Melt Stuffed Bell Peppers: Refuel from a 9 Mile Hike Over 6 Ridges

 Sunday morning I woke up at 7:00 am, met a group of adventurous city folk and drove 1 hour to go on a 9 mile hike over 6 ridges. Returning to my apartment at 7ish, I had a good friend coming for a last minute dinner. I needed to make something easy, healthy, filling and nice because it was Easter on Sunday and so far my friend had just had pizza all day. With aching legs and still slightly dizzy head I was craving a tuna melt but didn't want to put shoes on again or walk anywhere to get the bread! So I decided to take the tuna melt concept and make it fly with pasta - oh yeah, and stuff bell peppers with it! If it's not obvious, I had bell peppers sitting in my fridge and wanted to use them. While I felt like I had just been beat to a pulp after the hike, I'm happy I pulled this meal together because it ended up tasting great! First, here is a picture of the lake we went to towards the end of the hike: (note, picture does not do it justice)

                                

Tuna Melt Stuffed Bell Peppers
(Makes three bell peppers with enough pasta salad left over for lunch and dinner the next day)

Ingredients:
3 bell peppers
4 servings whole wheat shell pasta
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup corn kernels
2 cans canned tuna
1/3 cup grated cheddar
1/3 cup grated soy mozzarella
1/4 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup juice from jar of marinated artichoke hearts

Directions:
1. Bring two pots of water to a boil. Slice the tops off of the bell peppers and place them in one of the pots of boiling water for about 3 minutes. Then let drain upside down over a rack. In the other pot of water, cook the pasta.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a bowl and mix in chopped tomatoes, chopped celery, corn, and tuna. Drizzle the juice from the marinated artichoke jar and mix gently until all the ingredients are incorporated.
4. Stuff the bell peppers with a spoonful of the pasta salad, then a layer of chopped avocado, then one more spoonful of the pasta salad and then a generous layer of the cheese. Place stuffed bell peppers on a glass baking dish and bake for about 6-7 minutes, until cheese is melted. Enjoy!