Xicala: Wine & Tapas Bar

Do you enjoy Flamenco with your wine? If yes, then you’ll enjoy this cozy little Spanish wine and tapas bar called, Xicala, located at 151B Elizabeth Street. Every Tuesday there is live Flamenco from 9PM – 12AM and on Wednesdays you can enjoy live Cuban music. The restaurant has a fabulous  selection of rich, dry, bold and fruity Spanish wines, such as the Rivola ’05 from Sardon del Duero, Spain, the Sierra Cantabria ’05  from Rioja, Spain, and the Quintana ’07 from Ribera del Duero, Spain, which are hard to find in most restaurants. The tapas are also incredible. I enjoyed the Pulpo a la Gallega (octopus) and the Cheese Plate, but there are many more tapas – like the Garlic shrimp in a spiced garlic sauce, Scallops Galicia and Spanish sausages dipped in red wine sauce. The atmosphere was very romantic and intimate. It is definitely a great place to take a date. For more information you can visit Xicala’s website.

Harvard’s Healthy Eating Pyramid

The Healthy Eating Pyramid, built by the faculty in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health:

For more info, visit http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid/.

VIDEO “Kenna: Climbing for Clean Water”

“Grammy nominated musician Kenna wanted to help his father fund clean wells in Ethiopia. After summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro with friends like Jessica Biel and Lupe Fiasco, Kenna talks to TIME about the fight for clean water.”

Pump Up Song of the Day: Dj Tiesto “Just Be”

DJ Tiesto – Just Be by eatsnbeats

Song of the Evening: “Beggin” – Madcon

Best Red Velvet Cupcakes in NYC

In my opinion, the best red velvet cupcakes in NYC can be found at the Buttercup Bake Shop, located at 973 2nd Avenue (Between 51st and 52nd Streets) and 141 West 72nd Street (Between Amsterdam and Columbus). When I was working at the UN Headquarters a couple of summers ago, this was my team’s end-of-the-week or mid-week treat. I enjoy their other cupcakes as well. For more info, visit http://buttercupbakeshop.com/.

Easter Recipe: 4-Pepper Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
• 1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole green peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon caper liquid
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch sugar

Directions

Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom. Scoop the yolks into a medium mixing bowl and lay the whites aside. Place all of the peppercorns, except 1/2 teaspoon of the pink peppercorns, into a spice grinder and process until ground well. Add the ground peppers, caper liquid, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and sugar to the egg yolks and using a fork, stir to thoroughly combine. Place the mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture into each of the white halves. Coarsely grind the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pink peppercorns and use to garnish the top of each egg.

Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

*From www.foodnetwork.com

“NY-Z”: A Beautiful Documentary on Jay-Z

Free Cone at Ben & Jerry’s Today?

That’s right. Today is free cone day at Ben & Jerry’s!

When: March 23, 2010, 12 to 8pm

Where: At participating locations: http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/scoop-shop-locator/index.cfm

For more info on Ben & Jerry’s visit: http://www.benjerry.com/company/

Interesting Video: Ze Frank Tries to Understand Health Care Reform