Recipe Alert! Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I love ordering this as a side whenever available, but never actually took the initiative to make them until I recently saw the easy recipe in a magazine.This is a healthy alternative to french fries to pair with chicken, oven baked fish and chips or a hotdog and hamburger. These fries are also provide good vitamins that keep your face's healthy glow. This is also a great dish to have kids help you make. Not too messy and allows the kids to work with their hands.

Serves 4

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes Peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl or on a baking sheet lined with foil, coat the potatoes in olive oil and salt. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender and a little crispy.

A quick and easy dipping sauce is one part ketchup and one part mayonnaise with black pepper to taste. Let me know how you like the fries.

Ruby's Cafe New York

On a trip to SOHO, Sarah and I decided to walk around Little Italy looking for a bite to eat. I almost went in the opposite direction, but Sarah guided me down a street that held the café with the best lunch I had in a long time. We ran across Ruby's Café. The café itself is small, with picnic table seating, it is definitely a perfect place to meet some friends. The menu had a lot of interesting choices, but I was very, VERY happy that I chose what I did. Sarah chose the Tomato Mozzarella Panini, which had Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil and Prosciutto. I chose the Bronte burger, which had a sweet chili sauce on the most delicious bred ever. Each meal came with a side salad, a great alternative from fries, and definitely doesn't distract from the sandwiches. The setting was casual, with a wide open window towards the street where Sarah and I sat, and the attractive male server was an extra treat!

Tomato Mozzarella Panini

Bronte Burger

FLAVABOOM!

After a good shopping day on the Avenue of Americas, my friend Sarah and I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. We walked past Flavaboom and the decor immediately caught my eye. I am not a fan of frozen yogurt but there were baked goods and espresso drinks available as well. The whole store is white and purple with in-wall futuristic-looking cushioned seats that I immediately went and claimed for the two of us. I ended up gathering my courage and sampling some of the frozen yogurt. I have had Pinkberry before and did not enjoy it, but the flavors at Flavaboom blew me away. There are about 10 flavors (I got the raspberry-pomegranate, but the strawberry cheesecake was delish as well) with an assortment of toppings you can add yourself, ranging from fresh fruit ( I got peaches and strawberries), to candy, and cookie bits. The best part....you pay by weight! I am not forced to get more than I expect to eat and waste 3/4 of the yogurt. There is only one location in New York, but it will definitely be a go-to-spot for my shopping trips.

Sarah and her "crazy face"

I Am Back!

I am back with ideas for a new and improved blog. Some ideas will be as follows:

1. Sarah in the City - Posts about my culinary adventures with my friend Sarah, including new food finds and trying out different plates at old favorites.

2. Restaurant/Lounge Reviews - I will give personal reviews of new restaurants and lounges on my outings around the city, starting with my summer adventures during my internship.

3. Recipe Adventures - Trying out new recipes are no fun without being able to ell someone about them.

Look out for the first installment of Sarah in the City this week focusing on our past vacation at home: The Empire State!