Celeb sighting

Carlos Ponce

So I know the name doesnt sound familiar but he was in line infront of me at Duane Reade & when he went to the cashier she says "Arent you the guy that was in that movie with Lindsay Lohan" and he says yes and it clicked, he was the male escort in Just my luck. So cute & very nice!

Recognize him?

Beautiful

http://www.mbeshir.com/photos/cityscape/

Mushroom Pizza

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may substitute whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose)
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
Pizza Sauce
Mushrooms
Grated Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Mix warm water and yeast in a bowl. Wait 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy. Add flour, salt, olive oil and mix. Knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes until it rises. Lightly grease a pizza pan. Place the dough on the pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the entire pan. Try to make it thicker around the edge. Spread pizza sauce, mushrooms and grated mozzarella cheese on top. Bake 425 degrees for 30minutes until golden brown or until bubbly and hot.

So I forgot to take a picture and started eating it, so thats why there is a empty area. lol

Baked Mac n Cheese

Ingredients:
Serving Size: 12

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, (1 stick) plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn sm. pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese, (about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated GruyËre cheese, (about 8 ounces)
22 oz. elbow macaroni

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 375°. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set bread crumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and bread crumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Jack

I dog sat on Friday & Saturday night in Hoboken. Didn't get much sleep but here are a few pictures of Jack I took, the rest on the link were not taken by me. It was very hard to take a picture of him since he wouldnt sit still.

He's all eyes below.

More pics at the link!

http://www.mbeshir.com/photos/jack/index.html

Midtown Building Locked Down as Cops Look for Perp

Scary: A reader emailed us, "Sooo we’re currently on lockdown in my office building in midtown Manhattan (232 Madison at 37th). There are cops here and we were told to stay in our offices with our doors locked because apparently there’s a guy in a green shirt with a gun in the building." Another added that East 37th Street between Madison and 5th Avenues is shut down.

This isnt my office building but this has happened in my office, so wierd.

Coming to Central Park

Oct. 20 to Nov. 9 Rumsey Playfield, midpark at 70th Street. Zaha Hadid art work will be displayed here, its an advertisment for Chanel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/arts/design/24zaha.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Female compassion at it's best!

Barry returned from a doctor's visit one day and told his wife, Carolyn, that the doctor said he only had 24 hours to live.
Wiping away her tears, he asked her to make love with him. Of course she agreed and they made passionate love.
Six hours later, Barry went to her again, and said, 'Honey, now I only have 18 hours left to live. Maybe we could make love again?' Carolyn agreed and again they made love.
Later, Barry was getting into bed when he realized he now had only eight hours of life left. He touched Carolyn's shoulder and said, 'Honey? Please? Just one more time before I die.' She agreed, then afterward she rolled over and fell asleep.
Barry, however, heard the clock ticking in his head, and he tossed and turned until he was down to only four more hours.
He tapped his wife on the shoulder to wake her up. 'Honey, I only have four hours left! Could we...?'
His wife sat up abruptly, turned to him and said, 'Listen Barry, I'm not being funny ... but I have to get up in the morning and you don't.'

Celebs

So I had two celebrity sightings this week. My friend told me to list all the people I've seen around New York, so here's the list.

Starting from yesterday, I went to go get my haircut at Frederic Fekkai on 5th avenue, right next to work and I look up and Martha Stewart walks in sits diagonal infront of me and so the entire time I'm staring at her. (the humidity got to her hair-frizzy) She didnt look nice!

I went to go pick up my laundry by my house & outside of Jacque Torres Cynthia Nixon was on her cellphone & her "partner" was there too with I guess there child. Made eye contact with her and had this stupid smile on my face and she kept on talking on her cellphone.

I went to Urban Outfitters after work one day by my apt and when I walked in, these two girls were talking about Bruce Willis and there he was on one of the couches waiting for his hot model girlfriend to try on the clothes and model for him. So I pretended to shop some more and stared at him.

Jessica Biel & Jessica Alba I walked past them on 5th avenue after work one day, not together or the same day.

Went to duane reade during work to pick up some stuff and in line next to me was Robin Givens and her two adorable kids.

Dr. Ruth was walking past our building at work one day

There was crazy amount of papprazzi outside of a hotel so I was waiting around to see who it was. Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony were inside and they were waiting to come out and you could see they were playing patty cake, the clapping game. This is before she got preggers.

I was in the lower east side when my brother was visiting last summer and we were going to a bar and Neil Patrick Harris was sitting at this outdoor restaurant with alot of guys "friends" :)I was like Arash, its Doogie Howser...its Doogie!!! lol

I went to Tao one night with one of my old coworkers from Cali and Plaxico Burgess from the New York Giants came in and sat right next to us with his wife and baby and ate. He was more engaged in our drunken conversation than his own.

The CEO of our company is on the board of directors at Robin Hood. Its this charity that helps poverty in New York City, its a great program, they get celebrities involved and every year they have a couple huge events in the city. Last year I got to go to this event, I some how managed to get two tickets thru work, its this formal event, and top wall street people are there to donate money and its a auction and before they have open bar/meet and greet and then a concert afterwards. I think there were about 1000 people there.

So me and my friend are walking around and I saw Jay-Z, I had the nerve to walk up to him and introduce myself. Martha Stewart again. Sharon stone was at the table next to us. I purposely walked behind Cathrine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas and over heard there converstation with there financial guy talking about where they are investing there money in.

At the end of the benefit Aerosmith performed and nobody stuck around so it was about 50-100 people by the stage and him performing. I took some pics. The lady in one of the last pics won the auction to be able to go up and sing with him on stage, she paid like 50,000 for it. The other one that shocked me was someone paid 100k for her or him and a friend to fly to England and take a private yoga lesson with Madonna and Gweneth Paltrow. Craaazy! That was how the prizes were, it was just dinky stuff.

Just order it online!

So I get up at 4:50am most usually Monday-Friday to go to the gym. (yah I know, I'm crazy)This morning was no different and it was pouring rain. I get to my office around 5:15 and I pass the apple store right infront of our building and what do I see, a line of people waiting outside for the I-phone.

These people are brainwashed. Order it online, wait a couple weeks (I'm sure you can wait). Its so crazy that people would wait overnight in the pouring rain for a stupid phone. I just dont get it. You know there is going to be a newer, better one within 6 months. Thats the genius annoying part of Apple.

Drinks!

20 best drinks in America. Of course New York is on there a bunch of times.


http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_7207

Yogurt Marmalade Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping cup of plain, lowfat yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Canola oil
1/2 cup prepared orange marmalade
1/4 cup yogurt


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with nonstick baking spray (or grease and flour it if it makes your skirt fly up.) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and canola oil until just combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until just combined; do not overbeat. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Remove from pan. While cake is cooling, pour marmalade into pan. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Add yogurt to pan and turn off heat. Stir to combine, then pour slowly over the top of the cake, allowing icing to pool around the sides.

before

after marmalade topping

Baked Ravioli

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds store-bought ravioli
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Salmonella

Dont make the guacamole dish, it has fresh jalapeno's in it

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/07/21/fda.salmonella/index.html

Pool/Bbq party

Went to a great house party on saturday. The house was amazing, I've never seen a backyard like this before. The dogs were getting tired from all the space to run around in. I cant wait to own a place like this :)~ (wishful thinking). The house is on the market too, so anyone, anyone 3 million, anyone??

my toes

Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS

2.5 lb Chuck roast
3 carrots
1 cup Beef Stock
3-4 sprig Thyme
3 or 4 Onions
Half a cup Red wine
Mushrooms (optional)


DIRECTIONS

Pour some olive oil in a big sauce pan. Cut up 3 or 4 onions in half and put them in the pot until they sizzle and cook on both sides. Take the onions out and cut up the carrots into 2 inch slices, do not peel them. Put the carrots in the pan and let them cook for a little until a little darker shade and take them out. Season your roast with lots of salt and pepper and place into the same pan until its seared on all sides. Take the roast out. Take half a cup red wine and half a cup beef stock and pour into the pan now add back, onions, roast and carrots and mushrooms. Add more beef stock to covers half of roast, add thyme, cover and put in oven for about 3 and half hours on 275 degrees. 4-5 lb roast plan on 4 hours.

Twice Baked Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

8 Potatoes
2 sticks of butter
1 Cup of Sour Cream
1 cup Cheddar/Jack Cheese
¼ teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
Black pepper
Milk

DIRECTIONS

Wash and place the potatos on a cooking sheet. Bake 400 degrees in the oven for 1 and half. Make sure there cooked
Now cut two sticks of butter until all sliced up. Add one cup of sour cream and mix it up.
Cut the done potatoes in half lenghtwise and scrape out the insides and putting it in the bowl, making sure not to tear the shell.
Place the shells back on the baking sheet and smash the ingredients again.
Add the seasoned salt, cheese and black pepper
Scoop out some of the potato filling and fill the shells back and add some cheese on top. Bake 350 degrees for 10-15minutes until the cheese melts.

French Puffs

INGREDIENTS

Cake
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Basic Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

4-5 potatoes
1 onion
salt
pepper
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla


DIRECTIONS

Boil potatoes till they are fork-tender, when done take one by one and cut them to one inch pieces
In a frying pan spray with cooking spray
Chop up a onion and put into frying pan once slightly brown add the potatoes
Add salt and pepper to spice up

Apple dumplings

INGREDIENTS

2 Granny smith Apples
2 Pillsbury Crescent rolls
2 Sticks of salted butter
1 ½ cups Sugar
1 teaspoonVanilla
Cinnamon
12 oz can of Mountain Dew


DIRECTIONS

Peal, core and cut into 8 slices, the two apples
Butter a 9 x 13 sheet baking pan
Unroll the two cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls
Roll up each apple slice in each of the crescent rolls
Lay each one into the buttered pan
Melt the two sticks of salted butter and pour in sugar
Barely stir together and pour in the vanilla
Pour in the mixture over the dumplings making sure to thoroughly coat them.
Pour in the mountain dew on the sides and the middle of the apple dumplings, and sprinkle cinnamon
Bake at 350 degrees for 45min.

check out the pix!!!

www.mbeshir.com/photos/floral_closeups

two of my favorite are, they were taken in Central Park yesterday :)

Dinner

Last night dinner was really easy and good. It took about hour and half all together. Tootie got some chicken too, she loved it. I got eaten by stupid mosquitos during dinner though since it was eaten on the terrace. 6 BITES! Now I'm itchy, have bumps on my legs and red. :(

This weekend Pot Roast!!

Good thing I go to the gym

Spicy roasted chicken

INGREDIENTS

24 drumsticks
2 sticks of butter
½ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon hot salt or any other seasoning


DIRECTIONS

Melt two sticks of butter in a saucepan. Pour in ½ cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon hot salt spice or minced garlic, some salt and cayenne pepper. Stir it until hot. Rinse the drumsticks and with thongs dunk in the chicken into the butter mixture to coat it. Place it on a baking sheet then recoat once all of them are on the baking sheet and shake some seasoning on them again. Place in 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Cheese Rolls

INGREDIENTS

4 oz of crumbled blue cheese
1 can of flaky biscuits rolls
1 stick of butter


DIRECTIONS

Crumble the blue cheese and put the stick of butter on a baking sheet and throw the cumbled cheese over the top of the stick of butter. Place the baking pan into 350 degrees oven for a couple of minutes or until the butter & cheese melt. Open the biscuits and cut them in halves then in fourths. Pull our your pan from the oven and stir the cheese butter mixture. Dump in the biscuits and stir them around until there coated. Take them out of the pan and place them in a new clean pan. Place them back into the oven 350degrees for 12 minutes until golden brown. Now take the excess butter cheese mixture from the first pan and coat the finished rolls.

Guacamole Recipe

INGREDIENTS

level of difficulty- easy

5 plum tomatoes (firm, not soft)
1 small onion
3 jalapeno peppers
Cilantro
Lime juice
Salt
2 Avocados


DIRECTIONS

Chop the jalapenos, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro; leave the stems out of the cilantro. Throw all of them in a bowl and squeeze half of a small lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste. Halve the avocados and remove the pits, start mashing the avocados and then add the rest of the ingredients into the mashed avocado add the other half of the lime juice & salt and mix.

I'm obsessed, I know