Que mangez-vous?

An Early Valentine's Day Present

2012-02-08T22:56:00.002-05:00

In case you were wondering, the baklava never happened this weekend. There were many reasons, the primary one being that I just slacked off. But a lesser, yet still valid, reason is that I didn''t have a pastry brush. I have never had a use for one... until now. And today, there was a slip in my mailbox for a package. Lo and behold, there was a beautiful brush waiting for me inside a cushioned Amazon box, with a very sweet note. Thank you, BCP.

Veal & Olive Ragu

2012-02-06T20:25:00.014-05:00

I dug up my old Rachael Ray's Look+Cook book and tried the following recipe. Little did I know, I don't actually love veal. But, for those of you who do enjoy it, I definitely recommend the recipe.

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound fettuccine
2 tablespons EVOO
1 1/2 pounds ground veal
Black pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 cup pitted large green olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for passing at the table

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, then add the pasta, cook to al dente, and drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a large, deep skillet, heat the EVOO over med-high heat. Add the veal and season with salt and a little pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until it's no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 min. Stir in the tomato paste and rosemary and cook for 2 min, then stir in the olives and heat through for 1 min.
4. Stir in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan for 1 min. Stir in the beef broth and simmer for 2 min.
5. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest.
6. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir in the pasta and 1/2 cup of cheese. Serve hot with extra cheese.

Onions

Fresh rosemary

Large green olives

Curly parsley

Lemon zest (and I get to juice the lemons into my seltzer)

Ground veal

I couldn't find pappardelle, so I used fettuccine instead.

Beef broth has been on my grocery list for the last several weeks.

Any white wine would do, but this is what I used...

Cheese is always appropriate. Recipe said parmigiano regiano, but I substituted Asiago instead.

The finished product

Obviously I went back for seconds... (and thirds)...

GOOOOO GIANTS!!!!

2012-02-05T23:02:00.004-05:00

The last time I watched the Superbowl was senior year of college. Apparently, I can only afford to do it every 4 years. In any case, one of the main driving forces to actually watching it this year was because I wanted to make a buffalo chicken dip, and I couldn't justify making a pan of dip for myself. Anyway, I won't share the recipe, because I find it grossly unhealthy. But if you really want, just google Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip.

The conclusion: After watching 3.5 hours of football, I've decided that football players can be attractive, but they are few and far between. I rather watch the World Cup.

For All The Single Ladies...

2012-02-05T22:49:00.003-05:00

Wegman's $8 dinners can be a godsend. It was a Saturday night, and I found myself without dinner plans. (Pause for a moment of "I'm 25 and I have no plans on a weekend night!" breakdown.) What made it worse was that I had just gotten back from the gym, so not only was I flying solo, I was hungry, and that means I have a tough time thinking straight. It also means I'm extremely grouchy until I am fed. Trust me, it's turned ugly before. So, what did I do? I sucked it up, ate an orange and headed to Wegman's. In addition to completing my regular grocery shopping, I also picked up a piece of salmon with seasoned crab meat atop. The fishmonger directed me to bake it in the oven for 15 min @ 400F (but the instructions, said 12 min @ 450F), so in the end I opted for 14 min @ 425F. Twelve to fifteen minutes after getting home, I had a delicious meal on my plate. Now $8 might seem kind of steep for a fish that you cook yourself at home, but it's better than dining with poor company and eating something you have no interest in, like pierogies (sorry, you pierogi lovers out there).

Post-Radiation Plans

2012-02-02T22:04:00.001-05:00

I'm considering baklava this weekend... you think I'm up for it?

Pasta with Roasted Squash, Sausage and Pecans

2012-01-27T22:47:00.012-05:00

Butternut squash, ready to be used.

Sweet Italian sausage, pre-casing removal.

Sausage browning up nicely.

Sage leaves, right out of the package.

Sage leaf, s/p frying.

Cheese for a little salt

Toasted pecans - very fragrant!

Finished product, up close and personal.

Beautiful.

*I doctored the following recipe from Emeril's original (Feb 2012 issue of F&W). Basically I cut out the butter and replaced it with olive oil instead, and I halved the portion, so my version makes enough for 3 hungry people.

Ingredients
1-1/4 lbs. butternut squash (I bought the pre-peeled, pre-cut, pre-cleaned package)
EVOO
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped sage, plus 20 whole leaves (this really makes the difference, don't skimp!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans (depends on how much you like nuts)
1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb fusilli
Freshly grated aged Asiago cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place cut squash on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Bake for about 30 min or fork tender. Add chopped sage and toss. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toast pecans in a toaster oven, watching carefully, cause they can burn easily.
3. In a large skillet, drizzle some EVOO and add the whole sage leaves to let them crisp up (2-3 min). Transfer the leaves to a plate to let them hang out until the end.
4. Add sausage to the pan, and cook over moderate high heat, breaking up the meat, until no more pink is visible (7 min).
5. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta. Then add to the pan with the sausage. Gently fold in the squash, pecans and a several tablespoons of cheese. Season with salt and pepper, as you see fit. Scatter crisp sage leaves on top and serve (with more cheese if desired).

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

2012-01-26T23:01:00.006-05:00

Last night, I made another loaf of bread. I like making bread because it's easy. You make one loaf and then keep slicing from it til it's all gone. On the other hand, to make cookies in my little oven, I have to make several batches. Cupcakes require lining, and are harder to store in a space-efficient manner. A loaf of bread is hassle free, but still very shareable. I used whole wheat flour again mainly because I don't want to waste it and also because people tend to feel less guilty about it. Anyway, I thought it turned out really well. The recipe calls for coconut oil, but I'm not crunchy enough to have that on hand, so I just used regular vegetable oil. Also, I was supposed to sprinkles turbinado sugar on top, but if you've ever seen the size of my kitchen, you would understand why having even confectioner sugar around (mainly for frostings) is an indulgence. Anyway, substituting regular granulated sugar if perfectly fine. It just won't have quite the same crunch on the crust.

Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
Optional- turbinado (raw) sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions

Set oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together with a whisk.
Add eggs one at a time, and mix well.
Stir in pumpkin purée and vanilla, then sift in flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice and stir.
Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter.
Spread batter into a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and turbinado sugar on top, for a light sweet crunch.
Bake for 55 min. Then, allow to cool on wire rack for 30 min or until you can stand.

Here's the batter. Wet ingredients on the bottom, dry ones on top.

And here is the finished product.

Oodles of Noodles

2012-01-25T20:37:00.007-05:00

I've been on a noodle kick lately, and I think there are several reasons for it. First, it's January and more than any other time of the year, I really like eating warm brothy things in the winter. Second, I have no idea where I'll end up next year, and if heaven forbid they don't have a Wegman's (or Trader Joe's or Whole Foods), I can at least say I took full advantage of our ethnically-friendly megamall-sized grocery store in medical school. And lastly, it takes about 5 minutes to cook noodles (which makes risotto look pathetic). So here's what I've been playing around with this week:

Carrots and green beans, sliced lengthwise. I probably could have used other veggies, including celery and cucumbers, but it's what I had in the fridge.

This came out remarkably prettier than I had anticipated. Colorful foods plus a red bowl goes a long way.

Chasoba - new Wegman's discovery. How many times have I cooked it before? This will be the first.

Green tea soba with shrimp and veggies, in a beef broth. Why beef broth you ask? No particular reason, except that I had some leftover from making beef barley soup the other night.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cupcakes

2012-01-23T23:04:00.005-05:00

In case you're wondering, you are not going crazy, there has been a definite increase in blogging activity. The reason for it is radiation. Nope, not that stuff from microwaves that will kill you, but what I call my radiology vacation. Hours are fantastic so I get plenty of time to read blogs, grocery shop, cook and bake. (And yes, even clean.) Specifically, I've been following this one blogger, and she recently made some very interesting Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cinnamon Sugared Chip Frosting. I decided to try out the recipe tonight, seeing as The Bachelor was on and we were all getting together to watch it/bash Courtney.

The cupcake batter:

Naked cupcakes, right out of the oven.

The finished product!

Beef Barley Soup

2012-01-23T16:43:00.015-05:00

I found this recipe on someone else's blog and decided that I too desired a giant pot of soup for the week. I warn you that it takes about 2.5-3 hours to make, which really is not long for soup, but I had somehow deluded myself into thinking I could have dinner within an hour. Anyway, the recipe is simple enough.

Here are the ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO

About 1 pound stew beef

1 whole large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole carrots, diced

2 whole potatoes, roughly diced

freshly ground black pepper

6 cups beef stock

2 cups water (or as necessary)

½ cup pearl barley

½ teaspoons thyme

1 whole bay leaf

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted ones)

And here is my version of what you do:

1. Set stove to medium-high heat, and add EVOO to a large pot. Throw in the beef and let it brown up a bit (few minutes); don't worry the loud sizzle is intimidating but good for it. Then add the diced onions and garlic and let that caramelize (another few min). Turn heat to medium.

2. Add the carrots, potatoes, stock, bay leaf, barley and thyme. Pepper it up (I also sprinkled some red chili powder for fun). Let it come to a boil, then lower the heat to low or med-low and let it simmer for about 1.5-2 hours depending on how hungry you are. When that's done, taste it, add a cup of water if it's too thick.

3. Then add the can of diced tomatoes and let it simmer for another hour (or 30 min in my case). But be sure to stir, cause the barley started to stick to the bottom of my pot. Then... grab a bowl, some crusty bread, and dig in!

Here's the finished version! I had a bowl for lunch the next day too!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

2012-01-20T14:28:00.002-05:00

Somehow I came back to a cupboard full of whole wheat flour, and only about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. I must have been ambitious and on a health kick back in August. Anyway, that meant that instead of my regular banana bread, I was going to have whip up something a little better on your bowels. I found this great recipe (from allrecipe.com) and made only a few alterations (i.e. adding a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips) and sprinkling extra walnuts on the top.

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2-1/2 regular sized bananas)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I assure you it essentially looked like regular banana nut bread (maybe with a tan) and it tasted just as delicious! Just remember not to overbeat the batter, otherwise it'll be stiff and gummy.

Maple Pecans

2012-01-19T15:10:00.005-05:00

I had been away from Syracuse for nearly 4 months, which meant I had a lot of mail to catch up on. More importantly, that meant I had at least 4 issues of Food and Wine to flip through. It's hard to decide what dishes to try next when you have so many options, but I opted to start out simple. No point making a giant pot of beef stew or a whole sour cream apple pie for myself. So I tested out the maple pecan recipe (from the November 2011 issue).

Here's the recipe:

Maple Pecans

4 cups pecans
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I substituted with paprika)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the pecans on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until they are fragrant, about 10 min. Let the pecans cool. Lower the oven temp to 250F.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the pecans and the maple syrup, butter, salt and cayenne and black pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Add the egg white to the pecans and toss well.
3. Spread the pecans on the lined baking sheets in a single layer. Bake for 40 min, until the nuts are golden brown. Immediately loosen the pecans from the paper with a spatula. Let cool completely on the baking sheets before serving.

*Nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

And here's what it looked like:

I halved the recipe just because I wasn't sure how it would taste and also because as much as I enjoy my nuts, eating 4 cups of it can be exhausting.

Adventures of Single Dining Continue

2012-01-17T23:12:00.002-05:00

I love my little kitchen. It's really itty bitty, but I've learned to work within it's limitations. It's a pain in the butt when I'm trying to "entertain." But for myself, it's perfect. I use one burner to saute, another to steam, and if necessary, my oven to bake something. Last night, I baked butternut squash (olive oil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper) and then panfried a piece of grouper. Quick and easy. It's hard to eat a meal that's entirely steamed (I mean, I'm not a Tibetan monk), but I also don't need a ton of fat/cheese/meat/sauce, so this dinner was perfect.

Warm to the Core

2012-01-14T18:52:00.009-05:00

In my mind, I'd like to believe that you are all anxiously sitting by your computers, wondering what I'm eating on a cold snowy night here in Syracuse. But the reality, I understand, is that no one, except perhaps my parents, really care. Regardless, I feel it's appropriate to share the meal I made tonight. It's not fancy. It wasn't even hard to make. But, it's definitely the kind of stuff I could eat day after day.

I made noodles. They looked like this when they were dry and in the bag:

Then I steamed some swiss chard (in my steamer basket). And then I peeled and cubed some butternut squash and cooked it in a miso broth, which came out of a packet like this (found in the Asian aisle of the grocery store):

Finally, I put everything together and made this:

Some might find it a little bland, which it is. It would be a poor substitute for buffalo wings or cheese fries. But it's warm and plentiful, and certainly very filling.

Proud Sister

2012-01-10T15:18:00.003-05:00

First of all, I know I have primarily only posted pictures of food that I make (as far as homecooking goes). But, I'm going to make an exception. Summer rolls have been a favorite food of mine since I first tried them in college. I further fell in love with them in Vietnam. And then over break, while I was in Hong Kong, we went to Rice Paper (see earlier blog), and my sister said she was going to learn how to make them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She said that about a ton of other things. But then this morning, I woke up to an email from her with a picture of this:

According to the email, it was made with a shrimp, cucumber, mango, cilantro and Thai basil filling and she made a sweet and sour dip for it. I was super impressed!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-02T15:12:00.012-05:00

This year, unlike years past, I actually had plans, real ones, for New Year's Eve. My sister planned an awesome night at Lily & Bloom in LKF. They had a 5-course prix-fixe dinner, and open bar starting at 11 pm. Unfortunately, I couldn't take advantage of the free flowing alcohol due to my mono, but the food was actually really good and totally enjoyable. The best part was that the restaurant really did put a lot of effort into the event (there was a lady in stilts, a statue man, a Chinese Charlie Chaplin, and a clown). The theme was 1920's Prohibition Era (think bow ties, suspenders, fedora hat, feather boas, flappers, etc). Some people really dressed the part. I kind of just put on a black dress and called it a night. But all in all, it was a super fun night. Happy New Years everyone!

Bread... not the best. Not the worst. Kind of tiring to eat with all the seeds that got in between your teeth.

Amuse-bouche... to be honest, I can't tell you with certainty what this was. It tasted like an oyster inside a cucumber.

King crab ceviche with tangerine & avocados - big fan of this!!!

My beef tenderloin au poivre (which means coated with cracked black peppercorn). It was one giant hunka meat. Paired with Swiss chard and chive spaetzle.

All our main dishes came with sides (french fries not pictured):

Brussel sprouts with bacon

Mac and cheese (fontina, asiago, pecorino) - a little disappointing. It felt a little runny, and we all expected a crispy top.

Truffle butter mashed potato - extremely smooth and creamy

Dessert sampler: German chocolate cake, Apple strudel (looks like pig in a blanket), Pumpkin panna cotta, Lemon raspberry tart. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to dessert, I was so stuffed, I could barely enjoy it.

Bar in the restaurant

Decor of the place

Shanghainese Dinner

2011-12-29T22:15:00.010-05:00

Two nights ago, we went to a place called Wukong, which specializes in Shanghainese cuisine, which I think translates to spicy (i.e. my favorite). I try to really take advantage of the variety of spicy Asian foods available in Hong Kong because it seems nearly impossible to find any of that in Syracuse.

Jellyfish - the crunchiness is my favorite part!

Non spicy appetizer of pulled chicken with cucumber slices and a peanuty sauce.

Eggplant sauteed with minced pork

Egg white with crab (usually eaten with a drizzle of vinegar on top) - not the best photo ever

Dan dan noodles

Duck tongue... which evidently contains bones.

Hot Pot

2011-12-29T09:58:00.016-05:00

Hot pot is sort of like fondu... but without the cheese and with more intestinal-type foods. It's the go-to winter meal in Hong Kong. Nearly every family owns at least one hot pot (some are electric, some are gas). We also had bags of veggies (morning glory, spinach, watercress, etc) which I forgot to photograph. Here's a selection of some of the things we enjoyed. I promise to include an actual picture of the hot pot next time.

Beef balls (as in balls made from beef, not cow testicles), and cow stomach (one of them anyway)

Weiners

Mushrooms - unspecified type

Tofu - the known and the trusted

Bitter melon

Carrots, turnips, pumpkin and winter melon

Fishy

Shuy gow

Golden needle mushrooms (aka Enoki mushrooms)

Thousand year old eggs

Chicken with goji berries

Shrimp - om nom nom nom.

My individualized dipping sauce (red chili peppers, fried garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, satay sauce and hot sauce)

Tofu "skin" and fried tofu

Beheaded frogs

A HK favorite - fried fish skin.

Anthony Bourdain Worthy

2011-12-26T20:49:00.004-05:00

Ninety percent of the time in Hong Kong, I eat pretty tourist friendly foods. Every once in a while, I come across something that's a bit more photo worthy, that I think Anthony Bourdain would feature on his show.

This is one of them. Roast goose. Apparently, that caput-like bump on its head is a mark of its goose-ness and distinguishes it from a duck.

In case the head is not your cup of tea, there's always the foot. Gosh darn those webbed feet... makes them such graceful swimmers.

I Miss Vietnamese Food

2011-12-26T20:35:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, we all headed out to Festival Walk, a mall complex in Kowloon Tong with the hopes of snagging some after Christmas sales. Unfortunately, we didn't get very much (although I admit I ended up with a beautiful new pink sequenced purse), but we did enjoy a nice lunch at Rice Paper. My sister and I kind of took charge and ordered for everyone, and it made me realize how much I love Vietnamese food. I love traditional pho - I could eat it once a week, at the least. I love their rolls (so fresh and crunchy), and all the fun dipping sauces. I like their coffee. Most of all, I like their prices (at least at the hole in the wall places, not the pseudo-fusion-kitschy new establishments). Anyway, here's what we ordered:

Fresh and tender viet raw beef with rice noodles in soup (it had a much nicer presentation, but my sister dunked the beef into the broth so it looks like a hodgepodge now)

Sliced green papaya, starfruit and green mango salad (very clean and refreshing)

Bun cha (cold vermicelli) with grilled prawns

Bun cha with lemongrass beef

Scallop and mango rice paper rolls. My dad dissected one and found that indeed there was a piece of scallop in there, as advertised.

Seafood rice steamed in lotus leaf

Christmas in HK

2011-12-26T10:15:00.009-05:00

We stayed in for Christmas in Hong Kong this year and had a little feast at my parents' apt with a few cousins, and aunts and uncles. Again, it was a joint effort. I contributed pork chops and a rice pudding, but I can attribute most of the success to my mom and uncle. The funniest part??? There was so much food we forgot the sushi appetizers in the fridge, until my mom went looking for fruits.

My sister's salmon nibbles (she promises to try a new appetizer soon)

Ziti marinara

My mom's famous toasted marshmallow topped yam casserole

Miniature roast chicken

Portuguese baked vegetables

My apple sauce pork chops

My sister's Thai seafood claypot

Indonesian spicy fried rice

My sister's lemongrass panna cotta (with diced mango)

Chocolate rice pudding (orange zest on top)

The Chocolate Bar

2011-12-18T17:12:00.027-05:00

The holidays are about a lot of things. Succumbing to indulgences is one of them. To celebrate Christmas this year, I made a reservation at the Langham Hotel in Boston for their Chocolate Bar. I had never heard about it before, but when I was googling around, I came across their website. They have, of course, a regular brunch buffet. But despite trying to be health conscious, I couldn't give up the chance to try their chocolate bar buffet, because who knows where I'll end up in the next year. If it's another small town or city, there probably won't be another opportunity for a while. So... we went. And despite the near comatose state I was in afterwards, it was worth every bite and every penny. The average age there was on the younger end. They had a "DJ" person playing pop music. Some girls were dressed like they were at a Bat Mitzvah. Little boys were in sweater vests and girls in their puffiest Christmas dresses. Overall, it was amazing.

Here is some photographic evidence:

Shots of chocolate.

They had a crepe station. Fillings included dark, milk or white chocolate, shredded coconut, almonds, bananas, strawberries and mixed berries. You could add a splash of Grand Marnier as well as a drizzle of creme anglaise if you wish.

Something with pistachios

Whoopie pies

Chocolate creme brulee: amazing but takes a few years off.

Cannolis

Something with meringue...and bacon.

Below are a number of desserts I didn't actually try, but took pictures of. Unfortunately, I can't remember exactly what they were called. But they were all very, very chocolatey.

Pumpkin cheesecake

Hot chocolate: 40% and 64% chocolate available. I thought it was heaven on earth, but if you're a loyal fan of Swissmiss, stear clear.

Obligatory holiday cupcakes

Dark chocolate fountain, where I spent most of my time.

Made to order ice cream bar: you can either use them as toppings or they can be mixed into your ice cream (think Coldstone style). I got a picture of the whipped creme before it was manhandled by little kids.

Cotton candy

Richmond, VA

2011-12-18T17:01:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the delayed post. I was in Richmond last week, and tried two different restaurants around my hotel. The first was called Chez Foushee, where I went for Sunday brunch. The menu offered some mouthwatering Southern specials like pork grillades and green chili cheddar grits, but if you haven't heard, I'm trying to be healthy nowadays. Mainly, I'm trying to be conscious about cholesterol. So, instead I opted for the sauteed mushroom and grilled vegetable omelette, which I got for $7.50. That's virtually impossible in any larger city. I'm pretty sure that a yogurt and granola parfait would be at least $9 in NYC.

Then for dinner the next night, I went to Bistro 27. It was a Monday night, so the place was actually a bit dead. I think there were only 2 tables. Nonetheless, the food was of great value.

I ordered the Bistro 27 salad to start: Baby lettuce, candied walnuts, sliced Bosc pears, red onions, Gorgonzola cheese, and tomatoes tossed in a honey vinaigrette.

As my main course: Linguine with clams.

Baklava

2011-12-18T16:55:00.003-05:00

Recently, I read a post on someone's blog about how to make baklava. I know it's labor intensive, and requires a lot of prep work, but I really want to learn how to make it. My goal is to make it at some point before I graduate, because I know it'll be even harder to find free time in residency. Two days ago, after walking around Harvard Square, I requested we go back to Sofra, because I wanted to pick up a few stocking stuffers. Of course, I ended up getting a snack, which was a good move since we planned a late dinner. So what did I get? Chocolate and hazelnut baklava. It was amazing. Baklava, like other very rich desserts of its kind, can only be enjoyed in limited portions. So while I always wish I had a bigger slice, it always works out best that I don't.

Sofra

2011-12-15T16:54:00.007-05:00

I took a redeye from Seattle to Boston last night, and was pleasantly greeted by my two lovely hosts at the airport. Instead of heading straight home (boring), we made a stop at Sofra and enjoyed a very sumptuous breakfast, though admittedly not the most cholesterol friendly.

I tried the Turkish breakfast. It consisted of a soft boiled egg in phyllo, cucumber, tomato, fried feta cubes, yogurt and spoon sweets (which was sort of like a jam/marmalade thing). My favorite aspect of it was that it was that it offered a little bit of everything. I can always go for pancakes or an omelette but I always find myself wanting a little more variety. This offered perfectly sized portions of delicious foods, and a nice balance of sweet and salty, salty and crunchy.

Hominy Grill

2011-12-03T19:40:00.003-05:00

This was practically my first taste of southern cookin'. And my was I pleased. I went to a place called Hominy Grill for lunch while I was down in Charleston, SC interviewing. I was super excited beforehand because, for once, it's free lunch that does not consist of cold wraps with stale bread. My expectations were far exceeded. I tried shrimp and grits for the first time (note to self: never sound surprised that there are different TYPES of grits). And southerners know good dessert. We ordered and shared a few things: coconut cake, chocolate pudding (not like the Jello prepackaged cups at all), and peanut butter pie.

Shrimp and grits -- best with a little hot sauce!

Coconut cake

Chocolate pudding - reminds me of pot de creme.

Peanut butter piiiiiiiee.

Another Sign of Adulthood

2011-12-03T19:33:00.004-05:00

You care about complimentary hot breakfast at your hotel... a lot. It really makes a difference, not because it's a gourmet spread but because it means you don't have to go out to look for breakfast, it's one less added cost to your stay, and best of all, you can steal fruit for the day. I nearly went to sleep the night before excited about the fake eggs and sausage patty I was going to have in just a few hours.

This was my hotel in Philly: Holiday Inn Express - Midtown.

This was Charleston, SC - Spring Hill Suites (aforementioned eggs and sausage not pictured)

Blue Hill @ Stone Barns

2011-11-27T19:53:00.013-05:00

For my dad's big 60th birthday this year, we splurged a little bit and went back to Blue Hill @ Stone Barns for brunch. The first time I was there was over 2 years ago, and in fact, it was my very first blog entry. It's a 4 course set menu and the only things you can really specify are any food allergies or severe food aversions. I have yet to try their dinner (which I believe can be either 5, 8 or 12 courses). But to be honest, I think brunch is a great option because you can actually enjoy the ambiance, take a walk around the property, and snap a few photos with the cows and pigs.

Fried kale, napa cabbage and sweet potatoes (That's my sister through the branches)

Bite-size beet and goat cheese "burgers"

A root vegetable dipped in sesame and fried, on a skewer!

A little bit of fat and salt to start...

1st course: Beets with homemade yogurt and pine nut butter (amazing combination... I even scraped up my dad's dab) This may have been my favorite.

2nd course: Porcini mushrooms with a soft boiled egg (buried under the green foam) and watercress

Main course: juicy slab of pork chop with broccoli rabe and grains

4th course: Butternut squash souffle with "fall fruits," cranberry ice cream and candied pumpkin seeds (which was my favorite part of the dessert)

Finishing off the meal with some sencha tea. Love the honey pot and dipper.

Happy birthday, Dad!

Thanksgiving 2011 - A Team Effort

2011-11-25T22:45:00.014-05:00

It was quite a feast... for 15 people! But luckily, it was a team effort. My new contribution this year: cranberry sauce. I never grew up with it (it doesn't typically fit into the Asian palate), but man is it good. The best part: it's extremely simple. Water. Sugar. Cranberries. Spices. And toasted almonds (optional).

BBQ Pork Sliders - perfect afternoon snack to hold you over til dinner (courtesy of Karrie)

Smoked salmon nibbles - my sister's creation

Sushi - courtesy of my family friend, Ken

Green beans & Bacon

The obligatory turkey

Shrimp cocktail - completely store bought, but still a good side dish

Mashed potatoes - next year I'm adding potato skin and bacon

Homemade cranberry sauce with toasted almonds

Crepe cake from Lady M

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallow topping

Apple Pie - not my best work. Something was just a little off. Hopefully next year's will be better!

Taro Cake (made with real taro) by my friend George

Molly Moon's

2011-11-25T22:37:00.002-05:00

I was down by Pike Place with one of my friends who was in town for an interview, and we decided that despite the large lunch we had eaten just several hours earlier and the spiced ciders we finished it off with, it was still a wise decision to eat some ice cream before happy hour.

I've actually been to this ice cream place before, called Molly Moon's the first time I was in Seattle back in June 2010. But at the time, I didn't realize it was actually well known. This time, I tried their earl grey, which was very unique and delicious.

However, the autumn/winter spirit won out in the end, and I got one scoop of the spiced cider sorbet and one scoop of the vanilla bean.

Seattle Farmer's Market

2011-11-25T17:55:00.006-05:00

On my last Saturday in Seattle, I finally hit up the farmer's market on Brooklyn and 50th. The weather was great thankfully - dry and sunny, not too chilly. There were some wonderful little stalls. Fresh pasta. Ginger beer. Local cheeses. The only things I bought were a cinnamon roll for breakfast (not as great as the one I had in Pittsburgh though) and a bag of granola for the couple I was staying with. Had I been staying for longer, I definitely would have picked up some fresh produce for dinner.

Pie pumpkins!

Straw flowers... anyone know what these are?

Beets!

Plums for tasting...

If you read closely, it says, "Cauliflower is just a cabbage with a college education."

Table for One, Please.

2011-11-06T16:56:00.005-05:00

It's not my preference to dine alone, especially out on a Saturday evening. But if it's between enjoying a meal by yourself or going home to rummage the cupboards, I much prefer the former. I was trying to be adventurous yesterday. Going out. Strolling around. Doing some reading. Pretending like I live in Seattle. And then it got around dinner time, and I started to get that panicky feeling of, "What am I going to eat?" First I had to decide that indeed I was up for going out to dinner by myself. Then I had to find a place where the food would be worth the mild awkwardness. And lastly, I had to make sure that it was a restaurant where it would be acceptable to dine alone. I turned down the pizza parlour. Surprisingly, casual didn't make it feel more welcoming. I turned down the Japanese sushi place because it was just way too trendy and I was wearing spandex and sneakers (yeah, poor planning). I finally decided on an Italian restaurant called Piatti. The menu looked promising and I just wanted a nice glass of wine to go with it. I went in, asked for a table for one and got seated at a table by the bar. A friend of mine shared a handy trick: bring a book. It confirms the fact that you are dining alone, and that it's how you planned for it to be all along. Plus, it makes the waiter feel more at ease. I got a glass of pinot grigio and ordered the fennel sausage. The bread was good, the dipping oil was even better. I perused the dessert menu, but nothing jumped out at me. An hour later, I finished my meal, satisfied, glowing after a glass of wine (you know me), and glad that I hadn't decided to run home and eat triscuit and hummus instead.

Trophy Cupcakes

2011-10-29T17:53:00.005-04:00

I trekked over to UVillage this afternoon, just to window shop and admire all the festive Halloween decor and specials. All of a sudden, I stumbled on Trophy Cupcakes, which I had heard about from browsing baking blogs (yup, I do that). So I checked it out. The place itself is petit, but full of delicious goodies. I tried out the carrot walnut cupcake, and the best part is that they package even single cupcakes in these pretty, and sturdy boxes.

Halloween cupcakes!

Fellow cupcake seekers outside the store:

Behold...

The batter was actually very carroty, filled with visible pieces of carrots (which I find very encouraging) and the creme cheese frosting was smooth and soft (I had hardened frosting).

Baked Apples

2011-10-22T21:56:00.002-04:00

Made some baked apples a while back. A healthier, easier, and maybe slightly less satisfying version of apple crisp.

The Black Cow

2011-10-02T20:38:00.004-04:00

I know there's probably only about 2 of you reading this who will care, but I still think it's blog worthy. The Dragonfly Cafe in Pleasantville closed down earlier this spring, so when I ran out of coffee this weekend, I was at a lost for where to go. I considered Starbucks and D&D, but then I saw that in its place, there was a new coffee shop. The Black Cow (whose flagship is in Croton) apparently took over. The layout is much the same, but the decor is a little different. It's not as gypsy-Indie like, but still nothing reminiscent of Panera or Starbucks. I bought a 1/4 lb of one of their coffees and plan on trying it tomorrow. Will let you know how it tastes!

Food Related Gifties

2011-10-02T08:48:00.005-04:00

I got some wonderful presents this year. Not all were pictured (including the Ghiradelli chocolates and Haribo gummi bears), but were most definitely greatly appreciated and cherished. Thank you!!!

All the way from Sydney, Australia!!! Oven mitt with kangaroo, emu, platypus and koala signs. And for all you fastidious blog followers out there (anyone? anyone? Bueller?), the ninja cookie cutters were featured in one entry from July this year!

These fantastic gourmet gummies (grapefruit flavored) and hot and sour natural wasabi mix came in the mail from Fastachi in Watertown, MA!

At the suggestion of my sister, my mom bought me a little cake from Jean-Jacques. I believe it was a capuccino mousse chocolate dome with a graham cracker bottom.

This card was amazing.

25th Birthday Dinner (#2)!

2011-10-01T19:59:00.005-04:00

Blue Hill at Stone Farms was all full, so we tried a new restaurant called Restaurant North in Armonk, NY for my birthday dinner. We had an early seating (5:45 pm) and it was still light out so it was quite nice with the sky lights. I think my parents enjoyed it - my mom said we have to bring my sister back!

Anyway, I started with the Bloominghill Farm Plum Salad (Boston lettuce, grain mustard, agave, Rainbeau Ridge Feta and Bobby Sue's nuts). Not going to lie, Bobby Sue's nuts were not very memorable; I think they may have neglected to put it in my salad.

Swordfish with broccoli, pepper puree and sweet & sour onions. Why did I choose this? Because apparently it's from Charleston, SC, my first interview city!

Made to order Carrot Cake (with a whipped cream cheese and pecan "frosting")

From Farm to Table

2011-10-01T15:33:00.002-04:00

That seems to be the new thing nowadays. Farm to table American cuisine. As opposed to from farm to truck, to Sam's Club freezer? Anyway our family friend's gardener had extra vegetables which got trickled down to us. Fat zucchini? Two eggplants. Three peppers.

With a few mushrooms, asparagus and chicken, we turned all that into this:

It's All in the Details

2011-10-01T15:28:00.003-04:00

For lunch one afternoon, my mom made pasta salad. But it was no middle school Thursday afternoon side dish made from a box, she added shrimp and lots of crunchy fresh vegetables (onions, carrots, cucumbers, and tomatoes). And can you spot what's special about it?

That's right! Heart-shaped pasta! Too cute :)

Casbah (Birthday Dinner #1!!!)

2011-09-25T22:00:00.005-04:00

For one of my last nights in Pittsburgh, we went to a restaurant that we've been to before for brunch, called Casbah. I had heard from a friend that it's even better for dinner, so I definitely wanted to see for myself before my month in Pittsburgh was up. We sat out in the patio (which is covered, and still quite warm). The bread (sourdough) was delicious. It was served with butter, or a chick pea spread (heck yes!).

I ordered the cioppini, with barramundi, shrimp, scallops, mussels, little neck clams and grilled sourdough bread. I really enjoyed the scallops, succulent, and not at all gummy.

For dessert, we shared the sage and honey corn cake, with candied tomatoes, butterscotch sauce, basil syrup and roasted corn ice cream. Kind of interesting. Definitely not going to satisfy your molten lava cake craving, but if you're looking to try something different, I would recommend it.

Food Glorious Food

2011-09-18T14:21:00.016-04:00

I learned from a new friend here about a place called Food Glorious Food. She described it as this big Saturday bakery event, where you should arrive by 9:45 am, before the line starts to mitose. I was immediately hooked, of course, which means that I've gone the last two Saturdays. The line is long; I'd say to reserve 20 min of checking your email, making a to-do list, or catching up on Words-with-Friends while inching up to the front. They apparently just started Thur and Fri hours too, so if that works better with your schedule, go for it.

Here are a few other suggestions: Make a cup of tea of coffee at home and bring it with you. It completes the experience. And if all the tables are taken outside, have a little picnic in your trunk (only if you have a station wagon or SUV though.) We put the backseats down and opened up the windows, then closed the back door and nibbled away at our newly acquired baked goods.

I have tried a few different things.

Cinnamon roll, puts Cinnabon to shame. The bread was super light and fluffy. The frosting was still soft, but not excessively oozy and each bite was perfectly cinnamoned.

There was the phenomenal blueberry pie. Sometimes I am hesitant to order blueberry pie at a restaurant because I'm afraid it's just going to be dough with purple jam. But this was legitimate blueberry pie. Got commitment issues? No problem. The best part is that you can buy it by the slice!

Artichoke and feta focaccia. Not bad, but not as good as the pesto focaccia.

Chocolate chip cookies. A staple for any bakery.

The pistachio cupcake was delicious, with a really nice buttercream frosting. They also had a chocolate raspberry cupcake that I was seriously eying, but I figured that's more common, and probably available at many other places.

Apple strudels were also available, but didn't make the cut this weekend.

Mediterranean Fish Tacos

2011-09-11T23:30:00.004-04:00

I know this looks like a mess but it was one delicious mess. I baked fish (with peeled sliced apples) and made tacos with toasted whole wheat wraps, sliced baby cucumbers, feta cheese, garlic hummus and tabbouleh. Yummy!

Funfetti brownies - don't underestimate the difficulty of making brownies when you don't have a spatula or a mixing bowl. Also, can you see the pattern on the right? Yup, a smiley face :-)

Eleven

2011-09-11T15:21:00.007-04:00

We splurged on a nice dinner this weekend. I was debating between a few different restaurants and finally settled on Eleven, mainly because of its dessert menu, which ironically turned out to be the most dissatisfying part of dinner. Anyway we had an 8:15 pm reservation. The restaurant is located on The Strip so parking was kind of a hassle.

We really enjoyed the bread lady (i.e. the lady who walked around all throughout dinner refilling out bread dish. I tried a few slices of the olive loaf as well as their rosemary and sea salt focaccia. Both were fabulous options - but you know how I love my bread.

Appetizer was shared. Grilled peaches with a cured meat (I think it was proscuitto), on a thin bed of arugala.

Beef tenderloin with porcini mushrooms and parsley.

Seafood sample: salmon, halibut and crabcake. The crabcake was one of the best I've had. The crab meat was in big pieces and not mealy at all.

The blueberry bread pudding which the waiter said was his favorite thing to come out of the bakery there. Eh, I don't like bread pudding to begin with and really, this particular one was borderline terrible. The only good things were the caramel corn and the corn ice cream.

Tutti Frutti

2011-09-10T22:40:00.003-04:00

I admit.... we've been to this frozen yogurt place on Forbes Ave 3 times now. And I've only been in Pittsburgh 2 weeks. It's just so much fun. Tonight, I tried the cheesecake and original yogurt flavors. Dave had cheesecake and oreo. His cup was far more visually stimulating, and therefore more photo-worthy.

In case you're wondering, his toppings included but were not limited to rice crispy treats, rainbow sprinkles, green tea mochi, cookie dough, fruity pebbles, and Reese's pieces.

Tram's Kitchen

2011-09-10T22:33:00.008-04:00

If you're looking for cheap eats, Tram's Kitchen by the Children's Hospital is definitely your joint. It serves Vietnamese food (they have good pho) and it's very affordable. We've been twice in the last two weeks. But here's the disclaimer: we found little hairs in the food at least more than once. Eat at your own risk.

Fresh spring shrimp and pork rolls

Sate noodle soup and the works

Chicken and rice (rice not pictured).

61c Cafe

2011-09-10T22:29:00.003-04:00

I decided to cafe it this afternoon to get some reading done, so I walked down the block to 61c Cafe. The place is pretty lively, with a nice selection of beverages (fresh squeezed juices, teas, coffees, espressos, smoothies) and snacky type options. Things I've tried: freshly squeezed apple-ginger juice, skim cafe latte, and cinnamon scone. Bonus: free wifi.

Trailer Park Gourmet

2011-09-10T22:23:00.004-04:00

My biggest fan complimented my dinner the other night by calling it, "Trailer Park Gourmet." Here's what it consisted of:

Defrosted tilapia baked with dried cherries and seasoned with red chili peppers and cracked black pepper

Tabbouleh (store bought from Costco!)

Whole wheat capellini with jar tomato sauce

Sliced baby cucumber... just to make sure we get our veggies.

Not the most picturesque...

2011-09-05T21:56:00.004-04:00

But a good practice in making the most of what you got. Cooking in Pittsburgh is not at all about trying new recipes or exotic ingredients. It's about efficient and cost effective cooking. Tonight's dinner was a good example. I bought catfish (just to switch it up from tilapia) and baked it like my sister suggested with a little rice wine vinegar, chili pepper, black pepper, and ginger. There was a side of veggies, consisting of frozen veggies and half a cabbage that I had packed with me from home. My mom wasn't kidding when she said it would last a long time in the fridge. Anyway, the one thing that was lacking (perhaps fortuitously) was salt. I hadn't bought any, nor had I the foresight to steal those little packets, so the vegetables actually tasted a little bland, despite the garlic and ginger

Since I had the day off (Happy Labor Day!), I spent a little extra time to make dessert. The apples we got last week at Costco were kind of... duds, so I figured instead of torturing ourselves by eating them raw, why not make apple crumble. We already had sliced almonds and old fashioned oats on hand. So all I needed was cinnamon (which was on sale at Giant Eagle), butter, brown sugar, and flour. However, I substituted the flour with corn starch because I doubted I would use a whole bag of flour in the next 3 weeks and the cornstarch was on sale (thank you Valutime). Everything turned out well. I just wish I had a little more lemon juice, but beggars can't be choosers sometimes. At least we got dessert!

Silk Elephant

2011-09-04T23:23:00.008-04:00

Date night is awesome. We went to a place called Silk Elephant right by our neighborhood. It serves Thai tapas and is a "wine bar" according to the website. I would say that the environment is actually great for kicking off your weekend. If you're going on a Fri or Sat, definitely make reservations, as there was a long wait for others around 7:30 pm. Anyway, we shared an appetizer, two tapas and an entree, which was more than enough food.

Corn fritters (seasoned yellow corn coated in a thin crispy batter and served with a sweet chili paste sauce) - recommended by the doctor I'm working with

Siam paragon (jumbo shrimp and crab meat hand-wrapped in egg noodles and drizzled in a trio of tamarind, coconut and panang curry)

Phuket pork (marinated pork with herbs, thinly sliced and served with special sauce and sticky rice) - we discovered the sticky rice hidden inside the tin foil in the end

Duck curry (boneless roasted duck mixed with tomato, grape, pineapple in coconut milk and curry paste)

Tin Foil Saves Small Kitchens

2011-09-04T23:15:00.004-04:00

Some of you may know that I am spending a month in Pittsburgh. I'm bumming with a dear friend, who has generously offered half his apartment to me. The place is great. Fantastic location. Lots of space and has very comfortable. The kitchen unfortunately is a bit small. And on top of that not that well equipped (no offense). But, I figured out that purchasing tin foil could solve many of my culinary problems. Instead of pan frying, which makes the place smell oily and garlicky (okay for dining purposes, but not the best when you're sleeping in bed), I can just bake everything. Fish. Chicken. Brownies. So I made a meal of asparagus (which was sauteed on the stove) and tilapia (baked in the oven) one night and it was significantly easier than I had initially anticipated and very, very delicious.

For dessert, we had Greek yogurt with nectarines and dried cherries!

Since We're on the Topic of Breakfast...

2011-08-24T20:04:00.003-04:00

In my book, there are only 2 good reasons to skip breakfast.

1. You are sleeping. Glorious sleep, you cannot be neglected.
2. You are saving yourself for brunch.

All other reasons are excuses.

This is what I had for breakfast today: whole wheat toast with crunchy peanut butter and 1/2 a grapefruit. Slurp.

Am I Old?!

2011-08-24T19:49:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I wonder what the signs of growing up entail. Would I sound like a boring adult to a 15-yr-old? I suppose there are some blatant signs of growing up... like inquiring about a town's school system or how much property taxes are. I don't quite qualify those criteria yet. But there are the softer signs, like comparing gas mileage for your cars (I'm mildly guilty), or even going out to enjoy breakfast at a local cafe by yourself (definitely guilty). So I try to think back ten years... would 15-year-old me have gone out for old-fashioned oatmeal and a cappuccino, just because I wanted to? Or would I have comatosed til noon, rolled out of bed, scratched by butt and eaten Pops out of the box?

Chorong House

2011-08-21T12:25:00.002-04:00

It really is about time I started blogging about this place. I've been enough times, certainly. What I think is interesting, and mildly amusing is that every time I talk to someone new about it, I almost instantly know we are thinking of the same place. Take for example, the last time I was there. Some friends and I were trying to come up with a place to go for dinner that would be chill and relaxed. We bounced some ideas around and finally, one person timidly said, "Do you like Korean food, cause there's this dive of a place that's really good." I instantly replied with, "Does it feel like you're in someone's living room?" And then we immediately knew we were on the same page. Chorong House is Korean "restaurant" where the owners live just upstairs. I've only ever seen a total of 3 people work there (I suspect they are all closely related). Most importantly, the food is good, really good. You order by number and letter (S1 or M6 for example). And honestly, most of the time they all sound somewhat similar, but nonetheless I never fret, because I know whatever comes to the table will be just fine. I suggest anyone in Syracuse go give it a try. The address is 1121 East Fayette Street. And yes, you can wear your sweatpants there, for sure.

Lombardi Fruit and Imports Company

2011-08-17T16:57:00.004-04:00

A few months back, there was a Livingsocial deal for groceries at Lombardi's. For $10, you get $20 worth of groceries and whatever else is in the store. I had first heard about the place from a friend of mine who went there to get ingredients for pizza. So I decided to go the for deal, and it's not until now that I finally made use of it. I got a few things, but unfortunately I couldn't really get anything to cook with because I'm gone for the next 3 months (or so). I did manage to get a 1/4 lb of San Daniele proscuitto, 2 plates (i liked the patterns!) and a carton of homegrown pears ($0.59/carton). Overall, I was happy with the trip there and will most likely go back to get some groceries in the future to make a a real meal!

La Cremaillere

2011-08-14T23:06:00.010-04:00

All other rehearsal dinners will have a lot to live up to. This weekend, I went to my first one, which was held at La Cremaillere in Bedford. I've actually been before with my family for my Dad's birthday a few years ago. But this time, we had a private room upstairs and the experience was totally different. The food was still exactly as I remembered it: very rich and filling.

Chilled cantaloupe soup, which was actually quite lemony. Refreshing and sweet.

Goat cheese and beet "gateau" (or oreo) with mache, red oak lettuce, and baby arugula, walnut vinaigrette. I love a good beet salad.

Warm duckling salad, endives, radicchio, pear tomatoes and mandolin carrots. Herb mustard vinaigrette.

Roasted loin of veal, with a "Napoleon" of potato, caramelized onion, and spinach. Champagne mustard sauce. Very tender, but unfortunately I was stuffed by this point.

Grande assiette de desserts and petits fours (not pictured)

Something You Can Count On

2011-08-14T22:53:00.005-04:00

There was a period of time when I thought Japanese food had to be cool and hip. I would go to places like Sushi Samba and Nobu, and make note of all the little details they had in their food. Panko crust. Lychee infused gele. And I didn't understand how people could want to just eat a tuna maki roll when there was so much variety out there. It was a little obnoxious, in retrospect. But this weekend, I finally saw things from the other side of the spectrum. On a Friday night at 9 pm, I was hungry, alone in my house and left with only 2 plums in the fridge. Things were not looking good otherwise, and going hungry wasn't going to make anything better. So I called a local Japanese restaurant, Abis, and made an order for pick-up. Twenty minutes later, I was sitting at my kitchen table, enjoying a very complete and sumptious meal. And I realized there is a lot to be said about the known, the reliable and the trusted. I had the spicy roll combo, which is essentially available at any sushi restaurant, but I didn't care about glitz or glamor. It did exactly what I needed it to; my night went from a 4 to a 6.

The Riverwind Inn

2011-08-07T19:29:00.003-04:00

My friend found this very cozy B&B about 10 min from the wedding, which turned out to be one of the best parts of the weekend. It was called the Riverwind Inn. We got a 3 person room which was just enough space. I didn't really know what to expect for breakfast, but it turned out to be a very delicious meal. I had coffee and cranberry juice. And they served a cinnamon apple French Toast, which actually reminded me of bread pudding, and a side of sausage links. There was also a fruit salad (not pictured, because I dove in immediately). Overall, I thought it was good value, and a great alternative to staying at a hotel farther away.

Andrew and Karina's Wedding

2011-08-07T19:16:00.007-04:00

What a whirlwind weekend of driving! But of course it was worth it. I couldn't have missed my soulmate's wedding. It took place at The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station, where they specialize in weddings. The space was nice - very large and open and the food was also pretty good. Weddings where people leave hungry are huge flops. Anyway, there was a first course of penne, followed by a salad. I chose the filet mignon as my main (the asparagus was really the best part). And then there was wedding cake, but I didn't get a chance to snap a picture before they cut it. I'll have to stay more on top of it next weekend (my last wedding of the season!). I'm pretty sure the best part was that I got to take the centerpiece flower arrangement home! That saves me at least $7.99 at Wegman's.

How much water is in watermelon?

2011-08-03T16:55:00.006-04:00

Apparently, watermelons consist of 92% water by weight. It's no wonder that after talking on the phone for an hour while eating a tupperware of watermelon, I had to pee twice. Good to know the 'neys are working well.

On the other hand, fruits like blueberries and plums are both about 85% water.

Lunch at Home

2011-08-01T13:55:00.003-04:00

I'm on this elective right now and the hours are really pretty great. Today, I had the privilege of eating lunch at home. So I made myself a sandwich from all the random ingredients of my little fridge. It's toasted sourdough bread, smothered on one side with cracked red pepper hummus. Then protein consists of egg whites with melted hot habanero cheddar cheese. For crunch and to make me feel healthier, I put in some sliced radishes and cherry tomatoes. The whole thing stayed together remarkably well, thanks to the hearty toasted bread. It came out looking kind of feminine with the pink skin of the radish and the red of the tomatoes ;-) Maybe I'll call it my "Girl Power Sandwich".

Surf Options @ Weggies

2011-07-31T10:40:00.005-04:00

It was a pretty rough day. I had been asked to do nothing particularly taxing at work today, and I even got out early. But all afternoon I couldn't get myself to focus and write this paper and put together a presentation for it. It wasn't quite apathy - because all the while I was feeling extremely guilty for being such an invalid. Yet, I really couldn't muster the motivation for it. And then finally, I talked to a friend who convinced me I wasn't being a world class slacker, but just taking a mental day/afternoon/night. So by 6 pm, I decided that if I wasn't going to be getting anything productive achieved, I might as well enjoy myself so that I would be refreshed the next day. Then it occurred to me that I had barely anything in my kitchen to put together a dinner. I could have defrosted edamame... or eaten some old chestnuts... or radishes, I suppose. Instead, I drove to Wegman's, did my grocery shopping for the week and picked up some delicious "seafood" dinner, consisting of shrimp rolls (with this sweet sesame sauce) for $3.95 and a Maryland crab cake, $6, which I panseared when I got home. Delicious options. So much better than the chestnut + radish combination! And it was the right degree of self indulgence to rescue my night.

Why People In Upstate NY Have a Hard Time Losing Weight

2011-07-26T17:43:00.008-04:00

I blame this on my doctor today. He kept talking about going to dinner at this family style Italian restaurant for his wife's birthday and how he called ahead to have special desserts made. When I got home, I was craving Italian food. But of course, being a Tuesday night and all, there was no time for going out to dinner. And unfortunately, I had no sauce and only about 25 sticks of spaghetti left. That meant ordering out. So I called Pavone's and may have gotten a tad overzealous. I decided on a small baked ziti (which came with garlic knots), and then a large salad to balance it out with veggies. And then a Sicilian cheese pizza just for kicks. (I left my iphone on the box for scale.) Take a wild guess as to how much the total was (including tax, but not tip). Closest estimate wins brownies.

Summer, I Love You. Please Don't Leave Me.

2011-07-26T17:38:00.005-04:00

Going grocery shopping this past weekend at Wegman's was a complete splurge. All the fruits looked ripe and juicy. Peaches smelled good. Watermelons were heavy. Everything was bursting with energy.

I ended up getting some blackberries and peaches (not pictured) for my peach n' blackberry crumble. And I also picked up a bag of firm, deep red cherries. They're not exactly cheap even now, but at least they are available and delicious. And I reasoned that I only eat it a few weeks of the year!

Here's the recipe for the crumble!

1 1/4 pounds peaches pitted and sliced
1 container fresh blackberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup blanched, almonds, finely sliced
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine peaches, blackberries, 1/3 cup sugar and cornstarch. Distribute evenly in baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, almonds, salt, oats and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Somehow squish in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal (more or less). Sprinkle in an even layer over fruit.
Bake until golden and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Enjoy with ice cream or just by itself! Also makes for a delicious breakfast in the morning!

Finz

2011-07-09T00:24:00.003-04:00

Before I even started the trip, I told my sister I wanted to stuff my face with seafood. Naturally, it made sense to go to a restaurant called Finz. They had a wide selection of what sounded like delicious fish and shellfish, and I ultimately chose the prawn and bug curry. Suffice it to say, it was worth it. The pappadums (I guess those are the little round crispy Indian flatbreads) were the first things I finished actually. The curry itself was filled with juicy and hearty prawns, and crayfish like creatures (i.e. "bugs"). I'm sure if I had the opportunity to try their other dishes, I would be as equally satisfied.

A Summer Ritual

2011-07-05T09:52:00.006-04:00

Going out for ice cream is an essential part of summer. It marks the transition between spring, when it's still too cold to go out for a frozen treat, and fall, when you start to choose pumpkin bread and apple pie over a sundae. I've always enjoyed making a night out of going for ice cream. It's a chance to see little kids (and be thankful you preceded the obesity epidemic), try a few flavors before you settle on what you were originally going to get anyway, and it provides you with incentive to go for an evening stroll (because walking 15 min obviously burns off 400 calories).

I've had a few run ins with ice cream on this trip -- mostly pleasant, though there are also some weird memories.

Wicked Ice Cream company offers 42 flavors (full cream ice cream and 98% fat free gelato too). I chose the real deal version of strawberry cheese cake and cookies and cream.

Daintree ice cream factory offered an interesting combination of flavors. The way they work is that each day they have 4 different flavors, and for $5 you can have a bowl of all 4 flavors. But you can't change it up. You either take it as it is, or say no. The day we went, they had jackfruit (which was weird and tasted a little like foot flavored ice cream), wattleseed (which reminds me a little of nutty coffee), coconut (phew, something normal), and passion fruit (which was probably the best flavor of the 4).

Dinners at "Home"

2011-07-05T08:08:00.008-04:00

For this year's family trip, we decided to forgo hotels and instead opted for apartment-style living. This allowed us to having more shared space (thus optimizing family time), and also be able to cook a few dinners at home. Sometimes eating every meal out can be kind of tiring and stressful. During our 5 nights in Port Douglas, we cooked 2 dinners, and ate most breakfasts at the apartment. It was kind of nice and relaxing actually.

Dinner #1
Pasta with marinara sauce, sauteed green beans, shrimp, corn soup, baguette and spinach (not pictured).

Fresh shrimp from the market

Sauteed green beans with onion and garlic

Dinner #2
Wings! (Seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and honey! Mmmm...) A little burnt around the edges, but still

Sauteed napa cabbage

Pre-marinated salmon!

Barramundi seasoned heavily with red chili pepper flakes -- spiCEY!

Port Douglas Farmer's Market

2011-07-05T07:18:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, instead of doing any tours, we decided to just relax and go with the flow of things. We started off the morning by going to the Farmer's Market, which turned out to be full of treasures. There were stands selling teas, jewelery, cutlery, honey, bags, art, etc. But really the most exciting part for me of course, was the food.

As we walked from one stand to the next, I saw that there was a huge crowd of people clumping around this one stand. So, naturally I asked my dad to get in line while I checked out what was so popular. Turns out, it was a coconut stand and it ended up being the best deal we found in Australia. For $5, we got a little young coconut. First we sipped its sweet juice, then we cut it in half, drilled the meat, drizzled honey over and filled it with a sliced up banana. That's right, a whole banana. What a steal!

Before and after:

As we were about to to leave, we came across this tiny little stand (even smaller than the Nuts 4 Nuts stands in the city) where a little old man sold sugar cane juice. But not just your regular old sugar can juice. This one was mixed with lime and ginger juice. Icy cold. Refreshing. With just the right amount of zing!

Gastronomic Things I've Learned During My Short Stay

2011-07-05T06:36:00.011-04:00

Australia is a strange, strange land...

Instead of flower-, or star-shaped cookies, Australians prefer to eat ninja shaped baked goods.

They name delicious cakes after their lords. Lamingtons are cuboid chocolate sponge cakes, dipped in chocolate icing, and then dessicated coconut. The National Trust of Queensland named it one of Queensland's favorite icons.

Vinegar: You can use it to dress your salad, or pour it on your leg if the occasion arises.

If you feel so inclined, you can consume beverages with cyanobacteria supplement (spirulina).

You can find dessert topping like this at the supermarket. Contains real lime fruit juice, suitable for vegetarians and vegans!

Strange weather can cause bananas to be outrageously expensive. $15.95 for a kilo of bananas vs. $0.49/lb at Weggies.

And if you're a cassowary bird, you can eat fruits like this one: Cassowary plum (my hand with chipped barbie pink nails for scale).

Zinc

2011-07-04T05:25:00.012-04:00

I apologize that the next few entries will be a bit out of order. Because internet is hard to come by, I am choosing to do the posts that I know are easier and quicker. So I'm in Port Douglas, Queensland right now. And we've been cooking dinner at our apt quite a bit, but we've also gone out for some delicious meals. Two nights ago, we tried out a restaurant just around the corner called Zinc. Overall, I was pretty happy with the food, but unfortunately I finished off the meal with a mocha that was less than exciting.

I chose to have the pan-seared local barramundi with a saute of zucchini, cherry tomato, kalamata olives, potato gaufrette, charred red claw yabbie in a crayfish scented parsley butter sauce. Barramundi is delicious, even on Saturdi!

My sister had the saffron linguine with black lip mussels and calamari

My dad had the honey and seeded mustard glazed pork tenderloin with caramelized apples and napa cabbage

Lemon tart tower - crispy pastry, tangy lemon curd, and glazed lemon salsa

Chocolate cake with chocolate custard

My disappointing mocha

Ghermez Cupcakes

2011-06-30T08:27:00.007-04:00

I was doing a little of the googles this morning, when I found this cupcake shop called Ghermez on George Street. Needless to say, I shamelessly planned by my day around it, in order to conveniently be in the area for tea time. Oh, and was it worth it. They had an assortment of different cupcakes, and they make specific flavors on various days of the week.

I tried two mini cupcakes: Orange & Almond (left) and Pistachio & Rose (right). The rose flavor was quite subtle, but a nice balance with the pistachio and I was pleasantly surprised with bold orange flavor of the other one. I think if I were to go back, I would definitely nibble on a carrot or espresso cupcake.

Australians Know Good Coffee (Sometimes)

2011-06-30T03:03:00.007-04:00

Cappuccino from Olivo on Blue

Short mocha from Starbucks at Darling Harbor

Iced Mocha from Zoe Cafe & Brasserie - one of the BEST iced mochas I have ever had. I long for another one.

Mocha from Central Baking Depot

"Iced Mocha" from The Coffee Grind (Port Douglas) - it really was more like chocolate milk with some caramel on top. Would not recommend it.

Good cappuccino from a little bookstore/cafe on the main strip in Port Douglas (the name of the place escapes me)

Drink Better Wine

2011-06-30T02:20:00.009-04:00

This was a different kind of dining experience. On our second night, we ate near my sister's neighborhood, at a place called Drink Better Wine. Really good food, served in... a liquor store. It's sort of like a cafe in a wine store, except there is a full menu. They do, however, stop serving at 7:45 pm, so we had to rush to get our orders in.

We started off with crusty bread and a selection of charcuterie (jamon, prosciutto, cured ham) - Don't ask me what the difference between those are.

My main dish: Duck with semolina gnocchi and a sweet corn mash (which was delicious esp in light of how it looked)

We shared the Chocolate Trio for dessert

Rengaya

2011-06-28T04:59:00.005-04:00

My first night in Sydney, we went to a nearby place called Rengaya for Japanese and barbeque. We started with a delicious salmon and avocado salad (soy french dressing).

We also had a selection of sashimi.

Ox tongue and some wagyu cut of beef that I couldn't identify.

HKG --> SYD

2011-06-28T04:17:00.014-04:00

I have to say that after a 15 hour flight, with only 2 pee breaks and a plane full of kiddos, anything was going to be peachy in comparison. But in reality, not only was the flight from Hong Kong to Sydney bearable, it was actually enjoyable. I slept like a 4 year old, ate well and honestly could have flown for another 2 hours without complaints.

There were two meals: dinner and breakfast.

Dinner started with a salad of pan-seared shrimp, quinoa and mango tabbouleh - very refreshing (and now I want to try to cook my own quinoa)!

Mixed salad with pine nuts and green olives

Sauteed beef tenderloin cubes with cashew nuts and dried chillies, steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried choy sum

Cheeze.

Fresh seasonal fruit (lychee, watermelon, pineapple, grapes)

Dessert consisted of chocolate and caramel mousse cake with vanilla sauce (which to my dismay was actually just a little rubbery)

Breakfast consisted of pink guava smoothie (background), fresh seasonal fruit, fruit yogurt and birchir muesli with blueberries. As my main course I chose a selection of dim sum (siu mai with crab roe, preserved vegetable crystal dumpling, shrimp dumpling, mini chicken glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf). There was also a bread basket and I had a raisin honey muffin with jam. It was beyond my expectations. Honestly, this breakfast surpassed any other breakfast I've had in the last 8 weeks (but to be fair, I did eat oily scrambled eggs and a defrosted sausage patty every day in the hospital cafeteria).

And this was my view at breakfast:

A Good Blogger is an Honest Blogger

2011-06-15T19:00:00.002-04:00

I could lie. I could only take pictures of fancy dishes with complex sauces and pretty plating, and pretend like that's all I ever eat. Or, I could be honest and tell it like it is. Well, some nights, I'm embarrassed by what I call dinner, and tonight was one of them. I debated for a good hour, what to do in terms of exercise. Either go to a warehouse-like gym and do 30 min on the elliptical or go for a walk in the middle of a 2nd rate city where I don't feel safe and the environment is far from pleasant. In the end I scrapped both plans and decided to just eat dinner. What did I have? Well, nothing fresh and nothing homemade. I heated up a frozen dinner in the microwave. To be fair, it wasn't exactly string beans and pasta. It was Kofta Curry with Channa Masala and Spinach Basmatai Pilaf from Tandoor Chef. And then I finished it off with some fresh watermelon. Did I feel bad for myself for a moment as I sat and ate a frozen meal on my couch? Sure did. But then I thought... someday I may be old(er), with kids and I may miss these opportunities to enjoy time to myself. I may have to eat elbow macaroni and cheese sticks because my kids won't eat anything with color. And it's possible, I will look back and long for those Wednesday nights in 3rd year of medical school, when I got to check my email, eat dinner that was made in 4.5 minutes and then slurp the watermelon juice from the bottom of the container. So there it is, and now back to the books...

Sauce 'Em

2011-06-14T17:05:00.002-04:00

Instead of recipe of the week, I'm posting a couple of new sauce recipes in the latest edition of F&W. They are all Asian themed, and I think appropriate since my sister just bought a schnazzy new food processor/blender.

Spicy Thai Marinade with Basil and Cilantro

(Good for steak, chicken, and shrimp)

1/4 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

8 peeled garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sambal oelek or other Asian chile sauce

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a mini food processor (or a big one if you have), pulse the basil, cilantro, garlic, sambal oelek and fish sauce until finely chopped. Add the lemon and lime zests and oil; pulse until the marinade is fairly smooth. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. If making steak, rub the marinade on 3 pounds of skirt or flank steaks and let stand for 30 min or refrigerate for 2 24 hours. Light a grill, Grill the steaks over moderately high heat, turning, until medium-rare, about 6 minutes for skirt steak and 12 minutes for the flank. Let steaks rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice across the grain and serve.

Sweet-and-Spicy Marinade

(Good for chicken and lean pork)

4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 tablespoons snipped chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 large stalk frozen or fresh lemongrass - tender pale inner core only, minced

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup Thai sweet chile sauce

3 tablespoons sambal oelek or other Asian chile sauce

Combine the garlic, chives, ginger, lemongrass and sesame oil and pulse until finely chopped. Add the sweet chile sauce and sambal oelek and pulse to blend. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. For chicken, rub the marinade on 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs; let stand for 30 min. Light a grill. Lift chicken from marinade, grill over moderately high heat, turning, until cooked thoroughly (15 min).

Some Romantic Dinners are Better Eaten with Good Friends

2011-06-13T17:56:00.007-04:00

Two ladies drove 30 minutes outside of the polluted environs of Syracuse and had a lovely dinner here:

Capon Magro - Lobster and jumbo shrimp tossed with capers, beets, carrots and eggs, smoked paprika lump crab crostini. Exactly what I wanted.

Sea Scallop BLT - proscuitto ham, arugula and oven roasted tomato hollandaise on grilled crostini. My taste buds screamed "butter!" on the first bite.

Hummingbird Cake - a cross between carrot cake and banana bread with pecans, creme cheese icing, served with creme anglaise

Leek Salad with Walnuts and Mt. Vikos Kefalotiri

2011-06-04T19:27:00.004-04:00

I decided to branch out from my usual salad and make something different this time: Leek salad with walnuts and sheep's milk cheese. I got the recipe from my F&W 2010 cookbook (courtesy of my Dad) and the salad couldn't be easier to make. Just need to wash the leeks well, boil, drain, and pat dry. The dressing is olive oil, red vine vinegar, salt and pepper. And of course I garnished with chives (not pictured) and the toasted walnuts added a lovely crunch. Unfortunately this isn't a recipe I'd recommend for my sister because she's not into the oniony/scalliony flavor, which comprises the entire dish.

Memorial Day Grillin'

2011-05-29T20:56:00.005-04:00

My legendary, "oppressive" salad - full of protein and fiber. Also a little kale so you don't bleed to death.

Ribs, wings and shrimp. No dogs or burgers necessary.

Pineappley refreshing.

Corn - a staple at our family bbqs.

Recipe of the Week

2011-05-24T19:11:00.002-04:00

The other day I got a letter from my sister complaining about how I hadn't updated my blog with recipes for her.

So here is another one from F&W (June 2011), and I think it's especially appropriate because she requested something with an interesting sauce recipe.

Spicy Apricot Wings
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 pounds chicken wings, win tips removed and wings cut into 2 pieces

1. If you want to grill it, light a gas grill.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the apricot preserves with the Worcestershire sauce, light brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sweet paprika, cayenne and ginger. Scrape half the mixture into a small bowl. Add the chicken wings to the large bowl and toss to coat well in the sauce. Let the chicken stand for 5 minutes.
3. Grill the chicken wings, covered over moderately high heat, turning them occasionally, until they are charred in spots and cooked through, 22-25 minutes. Transfer the chicken wings to a platter and serve the reserved sauce on the side.

Note: Sweet paprika can probably be substituted with regular paprika (that's all I got anyway). And if you don't have ginger powder, but have fresh ginger, you can probably just mince some finely and throw it in the sauce. If not grilling, bake chicken wings in oven as you normally would.

Wedding in Lake Placid

2011-05-22T18:15:00.007-04:00

We went out to brunch Saturday morning, and ate up a storm. Eggs, pancakes, yumm! Then there was the wedding. We had salmon (not pictured) and the cake was super cute.

Eggs, homefries, bacon and English muffin

Strawberry flapjacks with bacon and fresh fruit

The favors

The cake... those chairs were the theme of their wedding!

Surprise!

2011-05-19T08:40:00.007-04:00

My sister claims to be the party planner in the family (after all we are apparently called S&K Party Planning and not alphabetically as it should be). But once in a while, I think I'm capable of throwing an awesome shindig too! DDR has a big milestone birthday coming up, so we decided to have a surprise party for him! The theme? DESSERT. I made a few sweets, and his roommates made a few things as well as decorated the living room. The surprise actually turned out to be successful. We did it 2 days before his birthday so he wasn't even expecting it!

The first dessert table

Allison's brownies!

I had to buy the HAPPY BIRTHDAY candles at Wegmans, and the cupcakes were Zeah's

Mysterious desserts, from a mysterious person, bought from a mysterious place. Seriously, I don't know.

Fresh fruit that I cut up -- it takes a long time to peel kiwis!

Yogurt sauce for the fruit (didn't turn out to be a party favorite)

Coconut rice pudding (no toasted shredded coconut this time unfortunately)

My apple pie -- I didn't start peeling apples until 5:30 pm, but I'm glad I did!

The ice cream and wine table. French vanilla, chocolate peanut butter and red velvet cake ice cream, with peanut butter sauce and cherries!

Sonya bought these napkins.

Yay, the food is disappearing!

Recipe of the "Week"

2011-05-16T20:57:00.003-04:00

Surgery really is the bane of my blog's existence. In any case, the June issue of F&W came out a few weeks ago and there is a recipe I want to share/try maybe over Memorial Day weekend.

Balinese Grilled Chicken
4 servings

10 garlic cloves, halved
3 fresh long red chiles, halved and seeded
6 small shallots, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
One 4-pound chicken, butterflied
4 fresh bay leaves
4 limes, halved (gotta love them limes!)

1. In a food processor, combine the garlic, chiles, shallots, ginger and turmeric and pulse until finely chopped. Add the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and pulse to a fine paste. Transfer the paste to a small skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Let the paste cool completely and season with salt and pepper.
2. Set the chicken in a baking dish and rub the paste all over it (oh yeah!). Place the bay leaves on the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Light a grill. Line the grate with a double sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil brushed lightly with oil. Transfer the chicken to the foil, skin side up. Cover and grill over moderate heat (350 to 375F) for 1 hour, until nearly cooked through. Add the limes to the foil and grill the chicken until the juices run clear when an inner thigh is pierced, about 15 minutes longer. Carve the chicken, transfer to a platter and serve with limes.

Cookies, Plain and Simple

2011-05-16T20:20:00.003-04:00

For whatever reason, I decided it was time to make some cookies. Nothing fancy. Just plain old cookie batter with chocolate and peanut butter chips. And it really was its simplicity that made it delicious (ok, maybe the butter had something to do with it too). They sold like hot cakes!

Acadiana

2011-05-02T18:04:00.007-04:00

There is no reason to settle for airport food just because you're traveling. All you need to do is plan ahead! My friend and I decided that since we rarely get to go out on the town and sample the cuisine, we deserved to make the most of it while in D.C. It was also our last weekend before surgery started, so we had no qualms. So... our last meal in D.C. was enjoyed at a restaurant called Acadiana (described as a "Louisiana Fish House"), which was right across from our hotel. We made a reservation for dinner following our last hands-on workshop, and we were able to grab a tasty bite before getting a cab for the airport. I chose the prix-fixe 3-course meal, consisting of the following:

Roasted sweet corn and blue crab soup - yes please!

Crispy soft shell crab (smashed new potatoes, sugar snap peas and jumbo lump crabmeat hollandaise)

Decadent chocolate doberge cake (pineapple confit, Tahitian vanilla ice cream)

Poste Moderne Brasserie

2011-05-02T17:47:00.005-04:00

This was the place we were going to dine at for dinner the first night in D.C., but I ended up going back for brunch instead, which overall I was very satisfied with. I started with the house made donuts, which were served with a shot of hot cocoa. There were 3 flavors: chocolate ganache, lemon curd and apple -- all were delicious! This stuff was seriously piping hot and freshly fried. I would most definitely recommend these, especially if you're choosing a more savory entree.

Speaking of, I was given insider information that the Eggs Hussarde were not to be missed. So I did as I was told and tried them out. They're very interesting. It's like having all the different breakfast ingredients in one... the eggs are inside a scooped out baked potato and there are two different sauces on top. Plus, the bacon on the side didn't hurt. Overall, this was a fantastic meal and despite the obvious calories and cholesterol, I would still suggest you try it out!

Zaytinya

2011-05-02T17:34:00.004-04:00

There is something to be said about making an informed decision. Our first night in D.C., we browsed around to evaluate our different options for dinner. We made a reservation at one place (which I ended up going to for brunch the next day), but the dinner menu didn't look amazing. So we walked over to another restaurant (a pizza place), but we decided we could do a little better. Then we checked out yet another one (which we would have dined at except their wait was ~1 hr). So we went back to one restaurant that we had walked by initially and thought the space was very cool. That restaurant turned out to be Zaytinya, a Greek/Lebanese/Mediterranean place. They serve small plates, we we shared the Crispy Brussel Afelia (not pictured), and I ordered the Octopus Santorini as well as the Kotopoulo Youvetsi (not pictured) which turned out to be a fancy Spaghetti-Os.

Octopus Santorini - grilled Mediterranean octopus, marinated onions, capers, yellow split pea puree

The dessert however was very interesting, and I'm glad I didn't pass it up. I can't recall what it's called, but it was essentially walnut ice cream with honey and nuts and this crispy piece of puffed pastry. You can order all the desserts in either the full or the half portions.

Ample Room for Improvement

2011-04-23T21:25:00.005-04:00

So I attempted my first pizza tonight. I bought the dough from Wegman's - it's whole wheat, and it was delicious. And the pizza stone I've had for over a year now. Everything was going so well... until I had to transfer the pizza from my counter to the stone that was heating in the oven. And then everything just kind of went downhill from there. It was really tricky trying to transfer it by myself. I think in the future I'm going to split up the ball of dough into two pizzas. That way, I can maintain a thin crust, without fear of the sides slipping over the edge of the stone. The pizza was baking nicely but when I went to check on it, I realized it was starting to burn. Before I could take it out and close the oven up, my fire alarm went, which meant opening my sliding door and turning on my exhaust fan so that I don't go deaf.

All was well after that. The pizza turned out to be delicious. Just thinner crusts next time and more cheese. The basil was delicious!