Sunday Brunch: Bacon Cheese Grits with a Fried Egg

Grits are something that I have recently fallen in love with. They are delicious and can be combined with so many flavors.

While traditionally grits might just be served with a pad of butter, they taste amazing when mixed with other things -- shrimp comes to mind. I thought, bacon makes everything taste better. So, why not bacon and cheese? Exactly. No good reason not to.

Rigatoni Pomodoro

A simple bowl of pasta can be amazing. Don't get me wrong, more complicated pasta has its place, but every now and again, I get this fantastic craving for a simple bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. 

No fear, pomodoro is just a fancy way of saying tomato sauce. 

Rigatoni is one of my favorite pastas. It has a delicious bite when cooked al dente and the ridges and the tube allow just the right amount of sauce to get trapped inside. 

5 tips for better pasta

Who doesn't love a good bowl of pasta. It's the very reason why Italian restaurants are the most popular in the country. 

Want to bring a fancy and expensive Italian restaurant directly to your own kitchen?

Sure you do, and it's really not that difficult. Cooking pasta isn't that difficult, most people just make a few simple mistakes when cooking pasta. If they would just make some small changes to how they cook it, their pasta would be elevated to the likes of Mario Batali.

Champions of Italian cuisine -- Batali included -- love to talk about these techniques because so many people just make pasta the wrong way. And, by wrong all I really mean is not they way its typically made in Italy. Since the Italians created it, I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing.

Here are the five biggest tips you can use to make your pasta just as good as they do in fancy Italian restaurants. 

Indian Corn Stew

Man, winter seems to have spring in a serious chokehold. We'll get a nice tease for a day, and then its back to the cold and rain. Outside, the wind is howling and it's threatening to pour. Ah, the wonderful weather of New York City.

To make matters worse, the boiler is broken in my apartment building. It's a bit chilly. Good thing I've got all the right stuff in my fridge to make a nice, warming meal that is about as simple as simple gets.

Cooking 101: Tomato Sauce

A simple tomato sauce, or pomodoro sauce is one of the best things you can have in your arsenal of recipes. It's a simple go-to for a quick and easy dinner or a way to have a delicious  date night.

It can go with your favorite pasta or you can put it on a pizza. The possibilities are about as limited as your imagination. So put down the bottle of Prego and give this a try.

Brief: We're fat, but at least we're nice

According to a study published in the UK's Daily Guardian, American's are not only the fattest country but the nicest country in the world.  Here's an exerpt:

"Americans are more likely to volunteer time, give money and help a stranger than any other people on the planet, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

But they are also more likely to be overweight and die younger than average people in 29 industrialised countries."

Well, at least we're not the "angry fat" type.... 

Read more: Americans are the world's biggest givers and takers: U.S. tops obesity and kindness poll

Eggplant Bruschetta

It's the weekend! And you've got a hot date coming up. Way to go, big guy. We'd fist bump, but over the computer that'd just be weird.

So, you've got a lady friend and you've managed to talk her into a dinner at your place date. Now, if this is an early date in your budding romance, or if it's an old flame, a date night in can be invigorating. Either way, it's good to keep a few things in mind. Besides cleaning your place up, one of the most important things about these dates is the planning.

Chicken Soup with Dill

I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days. And the last cold fingers of winter are holding on to spring. Sounds like a perfect excuse for some chicken soup.

Let's face it. It's a scary world out there. And your mamma isn't always gonna be there to fix you chicken soup. So, you have two options. One, find a nice girl that will take care of you and knows how to make chicken soup. Or, two, learn to make it yourself.

Winner: You've just won a new hot tub!

Congratulations! You've just won a new hot tub! Everyone wants a hot tub right?

Well, there was that hot-tub that became a time machine. Sorry, but there is an equally not funny hot tub waiting for you. You've won a hot tub that is filled with a vat of high fructose corn syrup. This is a graphic that ran in the NYT. But still... the gross-out factor... wow.  

Are Groupons and their clones the next Value Meals?

There has been all of this talk of economic recovery. Supposedly its in it's second year. Yeah, well most of that hasn't found its way back into my pocket book. My guess is, that it hasn't really hit yours yet either.

One of the biggest fads to come out of the recession has been the frugal diner. The grouponista has emerged, victorious in their lust for delicious food in a budget that they can afford.

Only problem is, when people see a successful model they try to replicate it and get some of that success for themselves. There are now more web-discount programs out there I can't keep them all straight.

There is a great article in this weeks NYT Dining & Wine that talks about the impact of these sites on restaurants. Reading it, I was surprised that I didn't know about half of the ones they mentioned.

It's a meat muffin

It's a cupcake! No, it's a muffin! Wait, it's… meat?!

Yes, believe your eyes.  It's a meat muffin. 

Now, I've been looking for a way to carry around lunch in my pocket to become one of the cool kids. I think I finally figured out how to do it.

And... we're back!

Because of the mounting costs and the lack of a federal bailout, DFNYC has relocated to its former "studio apartment in Bensonhurst." Frankly, free rent is more affordable. So switch the link in your favorites button people, because DFNYC is back!