Yebisu with fried chicken gizzards, pork belly with kimchi, yakitori, mountain yam tempura, matsutake tempura, etc.  Some washed out shots below:

Even though you hate cocktails, I find mixing drinks is a good way to get through the winter.

I’m loving this vermouth called Vya.  Mix equal parts sweet and dry, serve over ice.  Still working on my favorite Negroni recipe.

You can make the most perfect, ice cold martini with Cold River Vodka from Maine.  It so smooth, just delicious.

I’ve also been playing with this herby liqueur Benedictine.   You’d like it; it’s similar to a sweet-ish Amaro.  I’ve served it over ice with a bit of citrus, but it’s also nice with a little rye or apple brandy.

Try…let me know.

The first snow of the season

Until it becomes this…

Grand Central Oyster Bar

Enough reason to make a visit…a few dishes below:

Ricotta ravioli

Starting off with Kyo Ya in the East Village.

A sake toast - Kokuryu

It’s a little formal, a little expensive, but worth it.

Bafun Uni

Uni, add a touch of wasabi, wrap in seaweed, dip in soy.  Or eat straight up.

Seasonal hot pot with chicken and Japanese mushrooms

Nabe

An Mitsu

The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook won just about every cookbook award available, so I thought I’d try out a few recipes from the new book.  Their simplified and updated interpretations of classic Southern dishes are incredibly easy to make.

Shrimp and Deviled-Egg Salad Rolls

This Shrimp and Deviled-Egg Salad Roll is kind of like a poor man’s lobster roll with a nice bit of texture.  I swaped Srirachi for the Tabasco and added some avocado — fat on fat.  It may have been overkill, but it was delicious.

The times on all of these recipes are a little bit off, but as long as you pay attention the recipes should work.  In this case, the eggs were still soft after 14 minutes, so 16 is probably a safer bet.

I also think that toasting the buns is a worthwhile step.

Lemon and Cucumber Pickles

The Lee Bros. last cookbook had an extensive chapter on pickles.  These stand up to those great recipes.

Crispy-Skin Salmon with Buttermilk-Mint Sauce

Love the idea heating a the broiler pan before cooking; it adds a nice crust to the bottom of the salmon.  If you’re going for medium-rare, take the fish out before the suggested 5 1/2 minutes.

This sauce is fantastic.  It makes much more than you need for the fish, so I put it on my salad the next day and then had with lamb on the third day.

Take a look, let me know what you think…

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches

Things you might not miss so much…

Yeah, that would be Guy Fieri dancing on a bar in Chelsea Market.  When did he become a sex symbol?