Quesadillas a la Ben

I was extremely happy to let someone else do a little cooking last night, especially because it was here at home and it was fast. Josh and I spent somewhere around 4 hours working in a Starbucks so I was sort of out of my mind stir crazy and was thrilled to receive an offer from Ben to make quesadillas for dinner. Mine contained a simple mixture of black beans, shredded cheddar cheese and chicken. Josh's and Ben's had a more complex assortment of goodies: chicken (seasoned with taco seasoning), cheese, beans, guacamole and salsa. Sounds great right? It was.

The picture has some shadow going on but you get the idea. In fact, I'd like another right about now.

Seaweed salad and my powerful brain

I'm not sure how healthy this was, but I was feeling very down and out yesterday and my brain was under the impression that eating this would make my stomach feel better. Or, rather, that it would not make it more upset than it already was. I was right: it did not make me feel worse, and I was able to mope around at the same speed I had all day until I eventually went to sleep and moped unconsciously. Still feeling under the weather now but coming out of the fog, I think.

It is incredibly interesting to me that the body is so very influenced by the brain, that if I sincerely think a latte, a croissant or a seaweed salad from a hole-in-the-wall sushi shop is going to make my stomach calm down, it will. This, I think, is probably absolute bull because coffee and milk are both likely to upset one's stomach - especially with the frothed milk of a latte - not to mention cause heartburn (for people like me). A croissant is made up of an ungodly amount of butter, which should theoretically also cause my stomach to have problems and / or upset my heartburn. This is all certainly logical. On the seaweed salad, I don't think there's anything that would cause me problems so it's less of a wonder, but it still brings me to ponder over the immense influence my thoughts have over the actual physical response of my body despite all the chemical evidence to the contrary. Don't get me wrong, I've never convinced myself that fries would make my stomach feel better. Experiment?

If I could study anything (besides what I currently study - *perhaps* in lieu of it), it would be nutrition. Still time, if I quit eating croissants!

Boar's Head hot dogs on Shelter Island

Now I have to admit, although I generally avoid eating hot dogs or any kind of sausage type meat at all costs, this particular brand of hot dots fogged my brain of all reason and by the end of our moving adventure I had eaten at least two of these. I honestly can't remember if I ate more than two because the time flew by in a complete blur! But I will get to that in a bit. First, let me tell you more about these delicious dogs.

Not having thought to check and see if Ben's parents already had ingredients for making hot dogs, we went to the supermarket upon arriving to Shelter Island and bought what we thought was the most interestingly packaged collection of wieners: Boar's Head. I really love their smoked turkey and their provolone cheese, so I was all about trying out their dogs over Nathan's, Ball Park and the other usuals. It was well worth the risk. They were excellent! Ben lathered them in BBQ sauce before throwing them on the grill for ten minutes or so, which added a great flavor. The best part about these dogs was that while grilling, they develop a kind of roasted skin (sounds gross but tastes wonderful) which is crispy, making an interesting textural combination with the juicy hot dog inside. I added shredded cheese to mine and we had some crispy Cape Cod potato chips on the side. Very very simple, but very cheap and it saved us from eating out, which I hear isn't great on Shelter Island. However, we felt pretty silly after returning from the supermarket to find ALL the supplies we had just purchased in the fridge already. But! If we had paid more attention, we wouldn't have ended up with Boar's Head hot dogs, so one can only assume it worked out for the better.

On to the island adventure itself. After moving countless items, getting horribly sweaty and taking countless showers, and eating countless hot dogs, I'd say it was a physically tough but fun couple of days. Once we were finished with the hard labor, we drove around and saw beaches, random sites from Ben's younger years, went on a walk through the Mashomack Preserve and had delicious ice cream (separate post). We also watched a little bit of Avatar: The Last Airbender (quite a different experience on such a large screen!) and The Iron Giant, now a favorite movie of mine. It's too bad that Josh couldn't be there with us, but he really lucked out in a way because the humidity was just a bear.

It is a little silly to post an entry about hot dogs from a culinary standpoint, but I'd like to mention again that I associate memories with the food I eat and this blog is, in a way, kind of a journal that will hopefully serve me well in the future. I just threw in a picture for the heck of it :) Also, if you look closely you can see the skin I was talking about...

Blueberry muffin on way to Shelter Island

Man it has been a long day! Ben, Josh and I packed up Ben's stuff around 8:00 AM this morning, after which Ben and I drove it all in a U-Haul truck from Manhattan to Shelter Island. Before we got in to the our final destination, we stopped at this little farm and got blueberry muffins. I'll include the information at a later date; the day is winding down now and I'm getting to hit the hay soon.

This was by far the best blueberry muffin I've ever had! It wasn't super sweet and it was so full of blueberries that it really didn't need to be sweet. Ben said that he's been coming to this place for years getting blueberry muffins and other treats, and I can see why! I would be a loyal fan and customer if I came here regularly, no doubt about it :)

Muenster BBQ burger with homemade potato chips

I have been suffering from a serious craving for cheeseburger and I finally cured myself of it tonight! After a fun but slightly wearing day in the city, I very much enjoyed making a nice tasty cheeseburger at home.

The day started off with a play in Manhattan near NYU, directed by a friend of mine from Tennessee. It was exciting for me as I really enjoy catching up with people from other parts of the country (or world) in places far from the site where we originally met. I keep seeing people from TN in places like Boston, San Francisco and NYC (almost Costa Rica!) and it gives me so much joy to have these encounters. Unfortunately, they normally don't last all that long. In any case, I got to have a short visit with Patrick Harrison. I thoroughly enjoyed his play! I'll post a link to information about it at the end of this post, in case anybody is interested and will be in NYC.

After the play, I hopped back on the train to meet Ben and grab some food to head for the park. Unfortunately he wasn't feeling so well (probably in part due to the massive amount of cake I sent home with him yesterday), so he sipped on a Schweppes ginger ale while I feasted on a bit of pasta salad. We sat on the grass in the park (not something I get to do terribly often here in NYC) and watched people, listened to somebody playing an instrument that could have been bagpipes (but we will never be sure), and contemplated the adventure that will be moving his furniture from Queens to Shelter Island tomorrow. We then returned to Astoria where Ben, having healed from drinking the ginger elixor, got himself a Subway sandwich. We briefly escaped the rain (RAIN!) so that I could pick out some acrylic paints - can't wait to use them by the way! - we then grabbed umbrellas and met up with Josh. While I was having my own adventures, he was attending the Affiliate Summit East, a giant conference that is pertinent to his world of affiliate Internet marketing.

The day really wasn't that exciting after I got home. It was filled with domestic chores (laundry, dishes, etc.) and I was so worn out from the previous fun that I fell into a little nap, after which I was fairly hungry. Enter cheeseburger. I ran to the supermarket and got some hamburger patties (frozen, much to my dismay) and potatoes. I grilled a patty up for me (Josh had hot dogs instead of hamburgers) and fried some sliced potatoes in a modest amount of extra virgin olive oil. I toasted the whole wheat buns, added a bit of BBQ sauce under the patty and topped it with some deliciously and easily melted muenster cheese. It was along the same lines as most of my meals - very simple but extremely tasty and satisfying. We of course sat down to watch an episode of Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls. :)

The next couple of days should bring some real food adventures, as I'll be helping Ben move a mountain of belongings, doing a bit of hiking/walking/beaching (weather permitting) and will surely be quite hungry!

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BBKKK is part of this international festival: http://www.fringenyc.org/

Aang upside down cake for Ben's last day at work

I have to admit, I've been seriously neglecting this blog. I think I might have posted more frequently from Costa Rica! However, the current lack of content contribution had a very worthy cause. I have been putting together a little party for Ben to celebrate his last day at work. Although it really was a small affair, I wanted it to be very silly and very fun - not to mention, of course, tasty. The true star of this party was the very unprofessionally decorated chocolate cake you see at the end of this post. It turned out well considering the challenges I faced (having used entirely too much frosting, namely). This is Aang, protagonist of a Nickelodeon series called "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Here, he is frozen in an iceberg in the Avatar state. The image is taken from the first episode of the show, entitled "Boy in the Iceberg." However, since he is mercilessly trapped in this cake, I referred to him here as Boy in the Cakeberg. In any case, it was a very humorous adventure and I really didn't mind that it turned out looking so silly because, after all, it is chocolate cake. Very hard to mess up the taste of such a delicious and highly coveted dessert item. Like I anticipated, although aesthetically unimpressive, it turned out wonderfully in terms of taste!

The most important part, however, is that Ben and Josh found it to be very amusing and tasty. I myself am still eating it as I make this post, a day later :P (just a couple bites for my midday snack). I normally am NOT a fan of frosting of any kind but I used a cream cheese frosting and I rather enjoy it. Dangerous! But I can talk myself out of feeling guilty by going into the city later to walk around with Josh.

Although this cake was the main attraction, it followed some pretty darn tasty skewers that I failed to photograph. I had to make them in the oven and therefore got very impatient, throwing all the pieces in the skillet in the end. I used steak, chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, orange pepper, pineapple and shrimp. I seasoned half of the skewers with teriyaki sauce and the other half with Italian dressing, but in the end they all ended up tasting pretty similar because when I combined it all in the skillet, I poured the remaining pineapples and juice into the mix which overpowered the marinades. Before serving the meats and veggies I piled them onto some basmati rice. Fantastic!

After dinner we played Pin the tail on the Appa, our own special variation of Pin the tail on the donkey. I included a couple of pictures of the original Appa and Ben's attempt. He and Josh were much closer than I was, so they both won "prizes," goody bags full of candy and silly party favors. Finally we shared the cake. All in all it was a very fun evening and well worth the planning that went into it :D

Now I can get back to my regular posting! I've got about a week before I head to Texas, which should be full of food adventures! For now, I'll do my best here in NYC.

Oh it's sad but the article has some hilarious word choice

http://www.cracked.com/blog/fastfood-meals-for-failures/

Pizzas at home

I hope these look as good as they tasted. I wanted pizza for quite a long time and I finally made them at home! It was so very easy. I didn't make the crust, unfortunately, but my pizzas didn't take terribly long to make and they still tasted fresh. For Josh, the less adventurous of the two of us, I made a cheese pizza. For myself, I made a BBQ chicken, mushroom and broccoli pizza. For both of them I used whole wheat pita bread as the crust, which worked perfectly because it was thick and fluffy like a pizza crust should be! :D

While I heated the pita breads in the oven, I grilled some chicken breast that I had hanging around in the fridge and sauteed it together with some baby portabello mushroom slices, some BBQ sauce and some boiled broccoli. It sounds like a weird combination, and I guess it was. But I enjoy weird combinations, especially if they're tasty! And this was no exception. Under all the delicious toppings there was a simple four cheese Italian blend (the same I used for the chicken mac & cheese; it's pretty versatile). Toppings like this make a great alternative to the traditional pizza sauce if you can't eat it or you're just up for something different!

Josh and I sat down with our personal pizzas and watched some Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, a habit we've been forming at dinner time. I was more than stuffed with just one, but Josh ended up making a second cheese pizza for himself in the microwave :P I was glad to have such positive reception! It was quick, easy, tasty and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a meal that is filling and inexpensive. I'm sure it would do well with some salad and garlic bread, etc.!

Interesting article about the effect of meat eating on our development as humans

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128849908

Brother Jimmy's BBQ in NYC

Now this was a treat! Josh and I went into the city to meet a friend we hadn't seen in about a year, Diana Rodriguez. While we were hanging out wit her we chose a spot so that Josh and I could get some food, and we saw this SOUTHERN restaurant. We were skeptical - and always are - because we've tried some "southern" restaurants in Ithaca and elsewhere which, much to our unpleasant surprise, usually don't even have sweet tea. Brother Jimmy's not only had sweet tea (which was very good!), it had Cheerwine, which Josh promptly ordered. I got a pulled BBQ chicken plate with macaroni and cheese and string beans (covered in that amazing Tony's seasoning I miss so much). Josh got a pulled pork sandwhich with some seriously Carolinian sauce (read: mostly vinegar). It was far too much food and even after only eating half of my plate I was suffering a bit! But it was so nice to have all of those items. And I forgot to mention the corn bread. Just right!

I did want to order sweet potato fries. I love them dearly, but to my knowledge that's not a southern food...? Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'll be doing some research, but I had never tried such a thing until I moved to Boston. I would give this restaurant minus a one-half star if I were giving it a rating only because they were missing one very important southern food: HUSH PUPPIES!

Try it out if you're ever here and you find yourself with a craving for the South. :D

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http://www.brotherjimmys.com/

Casados con pescado, hechos en casa

Last night I managed to make a dish that ended up being one of the most exciting meals I've ever made. Not because it was the most exciting food - although it was extremely tasty - rather because I relived an experience I really enjoyed in Costa Rica right here in Astoria, and I made it all myself.

The "casado" is a really popular and often inexpensive dish in CR that usually involves a meat of some kind (in this case I used fish), rice, black beans, fried plantains and salad. As you can see here, I did not use anything green, and I should have! But I was too excited about having found yuca here at home and so I got carried away with the starches. Next time I'll throw in some salad or broccoli with carrots, I swear :) I made some more changes to the traditional dish, as follows: 1) I used brown rice instead of white rice, 2) I used green plantains instead of ripe plantains (I don't like the sweet flavor), 3) I also baked some plantain fries in the oven (which were AMAZING!) and 4) I added some boiled yuca. I used talapia but I recommend a fish with a less strong flavor... talapia kind of overpowers me sometimes. But it's inexpensive!

I had it in my head to attempt making casados because I was pretty sure I could find most of the materials here in Josh's neighborhood and I also knew I'd have plenty of leftovers, something that always pleases me. So, I had this strange drive to make casados and they turned out extremely well. Such a basic dish, but packed full of such flavor and all kinds of differnet textures on the same plate. Just great! It reminded me of the parts of CR that I really enjoyed, like going to restaurants and little hole-in-the-wall places with friends and professors. I'm so glad that I could bring back a little something with me :D

Because it was so much food, I didn't make a dessert. Hours later I contented myself with Maria cookies and milk. I packed away the rice and yuca, and even now as I write this at nearly 11:00 PM, I'm thinking of all the wonderful ways I can use them in leftovers in the coming days. I'm leaning towards some breakfast tacos with eggs, brown rice and a bit of cheese... we'll see! That will be only one of tomorrow's food aventures.

Euzkadi Basque restaurant in the Village

I really have no idea how to allign these pictures correctly - sorry! Anyway, I first saw this restaurant when I went into the Village with Josh and Eugene. I was amazed to find a Basque restaurant after waiting for three long years! I had found some in San Francisco but never made it to one. During my time in CR I asked Josh where we were going to celebrate our three-year anniversary when I got back to the States and he answered with Euzkadi! Clearly I thought it was a great idea. We ordered the same dish, bacalao. Salted cod on top of a risotto with chorizo sausage. It was just as delicious as I remember it being in the Basque Country (oh I forgot to mention, "Euzkadi" is Basque for Basque Country or Pais Vasco). I had a citrus-y white wine and Josh had a bit of rose. When it was time for desserts we really went out separate ways - I got my highly desired gateau basque (torta vasca) or basque cake, an almond cake with custard and strawberry sauce drizzled on top, with fresh strawberries on the side. He got some kind of chocolate mousse, as always. It was quite the amazing dinner!

I had flowers delivered to the restaurant for Josh, though he made me carry them home. :P All in all it was a wonderful dinner, and very peaceful! It was a Monday night and we were the only ones there. They really get most of their customers on Tuesdays, I think, because then there are live Flamenco dancers! I'll include a link to this fine establishment at the end of the post. If you live in the city, it's a must!

I normally don't like to put photos of people in my posts about food, but the waiter took this picture of us so it counts as part of the experience :) I have some other pictures of the restaurant itself, but there's not a nice way to make them all fit in here. If you can't make it to Euzkadi, put this dish on your to-do list (or your to-eat list). Bacalao.

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Link to restaurant: http://euzkadirestaurant.com/

Breakfast tacos with black beans, scrambled eggs and cheese

These little babies pack a lot of tasty punch! So to speak. They were so good. And sooo easy to make.

After spending a little over a month eating the strangest combinations of breakfast food (but never just cereal), I'm left feeling a little unsatisfied after my bowl of cheerios here in the States. So I toasted up some corn tortillas, heated some black beans and scrambled some eggs! Then I sprinkled a little bit of shredded cheese on top of the taco pile and folded the tortillas over. They're pretty small so I made two for Josh and one for me. I can't describe to you how really incredibly good these were! Right down to the last bean! It's shaping up to be a tasty day.

Lychee nuts (NPR)

Check out this article about the many uses of Lychee nuts!

If I'm not mistaken, there is a fruit in Costa Rica that looks really similar to a Lychee nut, and it shows up in this article! Maybe it's just a hairier version :p

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128951468&sc=fb&cc=fp

Homemade chicken macaroni and cheese

This was a simple and delightful at-home dish that ended up being a crowd pleaser (if you count Josh and me as a crowd). And it was super easy! I found a recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese and tampered with it a little bit. I ended up using whole weat flour (not measuring anything, of course), skim milk, a reduced fat four-cheese Italian style blend and some kind of Omega smart butter. I also made my own breadcrumbs which was fun :) I boiled up some carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and sliced up some whole grain French bread, which I then topped with the tiniest bit of Italian dressing and put in the oven for about ten minutes at 400 degrees.

Josh and I sat on the floor for some reason (something we used to do in Charlotte when we didn't have any chairs!) and watched an episode of Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls. I love that guy. In any case, we had no dessert because this meal was pretty filling. But I won't shy away from some oreos and milk later... I really couldn't stand the milk I tried in Costa Rica so I've been drinking quite a bit in the last couple of days. Gotta watch out for that, even if it's skim! Got some sugar in there.

Speaking of sugar, Josh and I walked around Steinway St. today before hanging out at the local Starbucks and doing work. It was fun, and not just because we did some shopping :p. I have missed the neighborhood so it was really nice to walk around and still hear people speaking Spanish everywhere I went. I got some reading done in Starbucks while I munched on an Outrageous Oatmeal cookie (ALSO something I've missed dearly!) and a decaf latte. On the way home we hit up Red Mango, a fro yo place that I hadn't tried until today. Pretty good! I got Madagascar vanilla and key lime swirl with fresh strawberries on top.

The day has been interesting, fun and most importantly, tasty!

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Recipe: http://southernfood.about.com/od/macaroniandcheeserecipes/r/r90212f.htm