He Fixed Eggs. We Made Dinner. Truffles at Kee's. Yoghurt and Cookies on Sullivan.

Saturday morning. Zubair asked, "would you like me to fix some eggs?"

"Yes, please!"

And there you have it. Nutty slices of toast, salami, cheddar, two fried eggs and a healthy serving of Tabasco. With coffee, of course :)

Post-brunch, we headed down to Kee's Chocolate on Thompson for our weekend serving of truffles. Four is the perfect number. Last week we did the quartet at Jacques Torres, this week Kee's. Perhaps Bespoke or La Maison du Chocolat next week!

First, Pistachio Truffle...

...then a Smoked Salt Truffle...

...followed by an Almond Truffle...

...and finally, Honey and Saffron.

We whittled the afternoon between Soho and the Village, running errands, and dipping into The Yoghurt Place II on Sullivan Street for dusty sweet Almond Cookies...

...and Greek Yoghurt with Fig & Apricot Jam and handful of Almonds.

The all day on-and-off drizzle of rain turned into a downpour as we headed home, so instead of dining out we decided to cook dinner.

"What shall we make?"
"Lamb!" he declared.

We stopped in at the nearby Ottomanelli's on Bleecker Street for a few pounds of lamb leg. Then off to Gourmet Garage for a few staples to complete the meal. Zubair prepared a spicy Pakistani lamb dish he grew up with...one he had spoken about many times before, so you could imagine how excited I was to finally taste it ^_^.

Ingredients: a TON of chili peppers, garlic, lamb, fresh tomatoes, mint, and a bit of yoghurt.

We prepared a refreshing Cucumber, Tomato, Corn, Lemon, and Mint Salad to accompany the lamb...

...along with Mint Raita and Mango Achar (not pictured).

The lamb is sautéed in olive oil with chilis and garlic, then stewed with fresh tomatoes and plenty of spice, a touch of yoghurt and mint to finish. Clockwise from bottom: Cucumber Salad, Lamb, Hot Griddled Pita, and Mint Raita. I should have remembered to snap a shot of the Mango Achar...it was delicious.

I rarely cook for myself, or have proper home-cooked meals in the city, but on those rare occasions where I'm lucky enough to enjoy a meal from scratch, I can't help but think of how we ought to do this more often. Company plays a large factor, of course ;)

To end the meal, wine and Baklava I had prepared the day before. We cooled off the night with drinks and company at Grey Dog's and then a friend's place. To sum - one of the most sweet and simple days I've had in a long time. Flawless ^_^

Kee's Chocolates
80 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 334-3284

The Yoghurt Place II
71 Sullivan Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 219-3500

Ottomanelli & Sons Prime Meat Market
285 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 675-4217