ieat19meals

bologna sub from no. 7

2012-02-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

Went back to No. 7 Sub to try the bologna sandwich. I thought that since this sandwich has brussel sprouts and pickled red onions, the bologna would taste less like Oscar Meyer baloney, but I guess bologna is bologna no matter which way you slice it. But that's not to say that I don't really like it, because I enjoyed this sandwich a lot. No. 7 has this great way of combining weird flavors. The brussel sprouts and onion were a nice balance to the heaviness of the bologna, sour things work so nicely. I think the broccoli is the best sandwich there though.

stuffed salmon

2012-02-06T16:58:00.001-08:00

corner bistro

2012-02-04T06:07:00.000-08:00

So I've been using the "Guide to Hamburger Styles" to describe what kind of burgers I love the most, and I think nearly all of burgers I would put at the top of my list would fall under the "pub burger" category. They're sort of sloppy and not fancy, but they taste so good...I think this is how people feel about reality TV, but I don't watch any. Except once I did watch a whole season of this show called "Huge" and it freaked me out.

Anyway, this burger from Corner Bistro is in the top part of my burger list. It was perfectly moist (actually a little drippy, but I'm into that) and all the melty cheese gives it a nice creaminess, THEN THERES THE BACON!! And of course, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and pickles.

See the drippiness?

It's a nearly perfect burger, really. The only problem is that the patty is so round. It's not that it's too much meat or that the bread was too small and flimsy to contain the patty (I sort of like that, sometimes), it was just sort of tricky to eat it. But really, if you have nobody to impress (like me), then who cares if there's burger juice dripping down your arm and some burger bits stuck to your face?

P.S. I saw some dudes there that took the buns off their burgers, then the tomatoes and ate them with hot sauce, then they took off the rest of the toppings and just ate a plain patty with a fork and a knife. Get out of there!!

grilled cheeses i made for other people

2012-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

cheddar and apple

cheddar, spinach, tomato

plus some chinatown treats

I ate a whole bag of puff cheetos this day, felt doomed several hours later

bagel time

2012-01-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

Oops, what did I do to this picture?

Yesterday I was not gluten or dairy free, but it was bagel time at Pace and I'm not the kind of person to say no to that. I don't even feel that bad today. Totally worth it.

no.7 sub

2012-01-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

Broccoli sub from No. 7 Sub at the Ace Hotel in the Flatiron

Today was not a gluten or dairy free day. I'm not sure that any day is, but I try a little. Or not at all.

Broccoli, lychee muchim, ricotta, and pine nuts

This place is SO SO good, and it is one of my new favorite sandwich shops. The ingredients sound weird but they all come together so nicely. Like the lychee was a little spicy and sweet, which went really well with the broccoli and pine nuts, and then there was the soft cheese which was a nice added texture to it all. It's so weird to eat as sandwich where the main ingredient is whole chunks of broccoli, but it's amazing. The sandwiches are also enormous, so $9 doesn't seem that steep.

crockpot chili

2012-01-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

My kitchen now has a crockpot. Welcome to soup zone!! And pulled pork.

The first thing I made was chili. This is a vegetarian chili with 4 kinds of beans, corn, bell pepper, and tomatoes with avocado, cheese, and plain yogurt (instead of sour cream). Crock pot recipes are super easy, but I guess the hard part is waiting around for hours. This actually only took 3 hours, and I loved it. It has baked beans in it, which at first I thought was really weird, but it gives the chili a nice sweet flavor, which I like. I left out the spiciness.

2012-01-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite things that I had in Korea. It's the perfect summer food because it's cold and really refreshing, but I would eat it anytime!!! It's a cold chicken broth with noodles, chicken, and loaded with vegetables. You can add vinegar and some sort of mustard/horseradish to make it a little tangy and spicy.

Cold spicy chicken and cucumbers

This was my "I'm back in America" meal...even though I ate 2 hamburgers and 1 pizza in Korea. It wasn't the same!! Actually, it kind of was.

I haven't had much to blog about since I've been back, which is really sad. I've only been eating smoothies, pita and varying combinations of vegetables and dressings, which is so unlike the way I would rather be eating, but I just don't feel like eating anything else. Trying to be mostly lactose and gluten free is the bane of my existence, especially since I rarely succeed in excluding both from my diet. Plus, I think food poisoning made me scared of food. How do I get back in the water??? Well yesterday I had Taco Bell...but without the cheese or sour cream.

kimbap

2012-01-18T05:14:00.000-08:00

"Korean sushi" I guess...except almost everything in there is cooked. Eggs, cucumbers, spinach, carrots, takuan, and ham (sometimes fish cakes or sausage)

Real close

Back in NY, still got lots to post from Korea but really, that food poisoning made me feel bad about even looking at those pictures, so maybe not for a while. More food things from America to come though, I hope.

2012-01-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Korea today, then I'll be back in Brooklyn in a few more days. Time is weird. I went to Busan for a few days, which is the 2nd largest city in Korea. I ate lots of weird/new things there, most of which I'm not ready to talk about because I got food poisoning, and it was a traumatic time for me. I don't know what exactly I got it from, but I'm guessing it was either some questionable street food or the unidentified raw sea-creatures I ate. This is one of the things I had from a food cart, but I don't think this made me sick.

This is called hotteok, but the English spelling is nothing like it actually sounds in Korean, whatever. It's usually dough filled with brown sugar, honey, and some sort of nuts then fried. My mom used to make this for me, then when she started working, she came up with a bastardized version of this using Pillsbury biscuit dough from a tube, which was actually really good. Then she stopped making it at all. Bummer

Apparently, Busan has its own version, which is filled with lot of different seeds and nuts. It's a much crunchier version of what I'm used to, but I liked it a lot. It's a good cold weather snack. Squirrels would like it.

korean corn dog, sort of

2012-01-05T03:52:00.000-08:00

The thing I was most excited about visiting Korea was eating lots of street food. This is a corn dog type thing, but instead of ... corn dog batter... it's this fish cake paste wrapped around a hot dog. And of course it's deep fried. Notice how perfectly the ketchup and mustard meet each other, like the DNA strand of a perfect human. Right? That's what DNA looks like? Korean hot dogs aren't like the kind you can get in an American grocery store. They're skinnier, less salty, and a little sweet, which I like, but it doesn't really hit the trashy food spot I've developed. I've been eating SO MUCH FOOD. My family are so nice to me and always buy me anything I want to eat. And I keep eating even though I'm full because I don't want to miss anything.

airplane food

2012-01-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

It was a long flight to Korea. I watched 5 movies. The food was just ok, sort of bordering on "not so good." But when you're thousands of feet up in the air, I guess you don't really have much of a choice in what you get to eat.

Bibimbap, which is just rice, meat, and vegetables all mixed up with sesame oil and red pepper paste. Plus some kimichi, fruit, and little scallion pancake bites that were really mealy and not good.

Chicken and mushrooms in tomato sauce with steamed vegetables and rice. Plus a "crab" salad. I don't trust airplane meat unless it's of the lunch meat variety since that stuff can be questionable even on the ground.

christmas dinner

2011-12-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, my parents and I decided to have dinner just the 3 of us. Cooking a Christmas dinner for only 3 people without going overboard is hard, and I think we have enough food to feed my family for the next two weeks. I had lots of fun cooking it because it was the Thanksgiving dinner I never got to make. But next year, I'm demanding an all seafood feast for dinner.

Oh god, ok. So last year when Neal and I made Thanksgiving dinner, we hadn't tied up the one of the brine bags, and during the tragic 5 seconds that we looked away from it, 2 gallons of liquid spilled all over my tiny apartment floor. The worst part is that my floor was at a slight angle, so it all went rushing like a salty river of doom right under the radiator. But it was still the night before, so we managed to get more vegetable stock from the gas station (thanks Shell) and make a delicious turkey. I thought this would the worst thing to ever happen, but I was wrong because the same thing happened this year, except on Christmas morning when there are no stores open. I was lifting the brine bag with the turkey out of the sink and into the cooler, but the stupid bag was ripped and turkey popped right out of the bottom. All the brine went down the drain. So after some tears (a lot, actually) and freaking out, I just did a plain salt water brine with some brown sugar and cayenne and let the turkey brine for only 4 hours instead of 10. It turned out really moist and perfect...a Christmas miracle, or something like that, right?

My mom's "creative" plating of prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Bacon wrapped green beans (really loving the meat wrapped vegetables this year)

Garlic mashed potatoes with cream cheese and chives

Mushrooms with thyme

Balsamic brussell sprouts and shallots

Acorn squash with butter, brown sugar, walnuts, and cranberries

I also made gravy with the pan drippings (mmm) and an orange-cranberry sauce.

German

2011-12-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

My best friend has started dating a German (hi Milly), and he's visiting for Christmas. The day he flew in, he made us all this tasty German food!! I don't really know what German food is...and I think he was too tired to explain anything to me. So this is my best guess at what it all is:

Thin pancakes made with clarified butter

The pancakes get cut up into noodle-y strips and this vegetable broth gets poured over them, SO GOOD!!!! I thought the pancakes were going to be used for a dessert type food, but this was a good savory surprise.

Dumplings!

I'm not sure how he made these...I know there's bread chunks, flour, parsley, and onions

Cooking

This beef gets covered in some sort of gravy, but I have no clue what was in it. It was sort of sweet, I think, and not the flavor that I was expecting, but again, really really good.

yum

home

2011-12-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

It's good to be home. The fridge is always really full and has everything I want to eat, and if it doesn't, my mom or dad will buy it. Last night I asked my dad why we didn't have bacon, and when I woke up this morning, there was a package in the fridge. Yes, I am an only child.

eating all the eggs

2011-12-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving for Seattle again tomorrow! I still have a lot of food to eat. I tried to not buy anything for the past week and a half and only live on pita, but I kept buying little items because I was scared I would get hungry. I have a lot of eggs I need to eat and I don't know if those will last the whole month I'm gone. So I made egg salad and then I also put in the black beans and corn I had left over. Then some feta on top. I liked it...less mayo next time though.

lemon poppyseed donut

2011-12-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

From Dough

2011-12-16T16:58:00.000-08:00

Rye

2011-12-14T16:22:00.000-08:00

So, I've been interning at Pace Editions for a few months now, and I really dig it. It gives me some sense of purpose while I uselessly flop around like a fish looking for a "real job." Plus, I think it's the coolest place ever and I'm lucky that I get to work there. REALLY. I'm not just saying that because maybe, maybe, maybe one of them will read this. Printmaking is so great, and it makes me happy (and sort of freaked out) to be around people who are making prints and are so good at it too. Maybe if some generous stranger gives me my weight in gold, I won't have to get a job and I can intern there forever. Anyway, today we went to lunch at Rye House.

Everyone said the burger was good, so that's what I got. They were right. Kathy says she only eats about one burger a year and this is the one burger. I don't understand why she only eats one burger a year. I think I've eaten enough burgers this year alone to last Kathy for the rest of her life and then some. The only weird thing that I have to say about this burger is that the patty is really cute. It looks like a cartoon burger, all round and fat. I just wanted to poke my finger through it, and that's a good thing.

Cheese envy

I didn't get cheese on my burger. For once, I decided to listen to the lactose intolerant voice in my head. The burger was so delicious enough on its own, but I still regret not getting cheese. Or bacon. This is Justin's burger and he got both. This is always the smart choice and the right choice.

Way to go with the burger toppings

Then there was dessert

And more dessert...This is apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. I love warm desserts with ice cream. I would have stuck my face in it if it was bigger and I wasn't sharing it with people I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of. And also if I wasn't in public and not 5 years old.

trashy taco

2011-12-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

When we made tacos, Jeremy bought over some things to make a trashy surprise snack. Then it got even trashier. I really love trashy food, like a lot. I think it's so much fun to make food that's really terrible for you. It tastes so good, but then it immediately makes you feel like dying. I haven't made anything this bad in a really really long time. I think my body is still in recovery and I feel sort of gross about it, but I have no shame.

Bacon wrapped tater tots

Yeah, I went there. It was beautiful.

tacos!

2011-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

I had a lot taco ingredients but no plans to make tacos, but then I realized I REALLY wanted tacos. So I had Molly and Jeremy over for taco time and it was really good. I gave some chicken drumsticks a bath in lime, garlic, and cilantro and let it sit in the fridge for a while. I would have rather used a different part of the chicken but I already had the drumsticks. Then once they were nearly all cooked, I chopped up all the meat off the bone and let it cook some more in all the juices. We also had a surprise snack, but I think it needs its own post.

Lime chicken taco with some black beans and corn, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, olives, guacamole, greek yogurt, and salsa verde

Ready to be eaten

THE STUFF (minus the chicken)

I like using plain greek yogurt better than sour cream

Chicken hanging out in the fridge

tuna salad

2011-12-11T15:34:00.000-08:00

Tuna with olive oil, lemon juice, celery seed, and mustard all on top of butter lettuce and radicchio (sort of wish I had different greens), avocado, tomatoes, feta, 3 olives, and a soft boiled egg

some lunches

2011-12-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula sandwich from Spoon

It was pretty good, sort of hard to mess a sandwich like this up, I think. It was maybe a little salty though, probably because of the bread.

When I was in Rome, some of my friends were really into eating apples, feta, and raisins with a little bit of salt, pepper, and lemon juice. I thought it was the weirdest thing ever, but it's really good, and I ended up eat it all the time. I like using arugula instead of black pepper because it's peppery enough on its own. Next time I think I'll have to pick a more tart apple.

food regrets

2011-12-09T05:10:00.000-08:00

What compels people to get food from bodegas? I always do, and I always regret it later. But when I was eating my tuna sandwich from bodega around the corner, I loved it.

sushi again

2011-12-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

I went back to Mitoushi Sushi because man, that place is so good. This is way too much sushi for one person, and I couldn't eat it all. But it was cheap, I was a little drunk, and I'm greedy. Clockwise from the top left: tempura roll, spicy tuna, tuna avocado, and an "East" roll, which means there's egg and avocado. I'm pretty sure I ordered an eel roll, but...I didn't notice until it was too late.

korean bbq

2011-12-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing to eat ever is Korean barbeque, and my parents always take me to my favorite place when I come home...usually the day before I'm supposed to leave.

Meat plate, guh! We ordered pork belly, another kind of meat which I know the name of in Korean but not English (it was sweet and marinated in some sort of soy sauce mixture), and squid. I am really not into the squid on the grill, but it was part of the "combo."

This restaurant is great because it gives you so so many side dishes, I can't even eat all of them.

The meat comes with an onion chunk, some oyster mushrooms, and a squash (haven't had this before, but I guess it's winter) which get tossed on the grill too. Plus a red bean paste mixture, jalapenos, and garlic, which you are supposed to eat with the meat, but we usually put the garlic on the grill instead of eating it raw because no amount of gum and mouth wash will get rid of that taste by the next morning.

Also comes with this soup/stew made from a soybean paste, vegetables, tofu, and some beef chunks

Also comes with this salad of lettuce and green onions in some sort of spicy soy sauce dressing. The beef also comes (not here though) with a plate of fresh lettuce and sesame leaves, and you're supposed to wrap up meat and rice in it. It helps balance out the fattiness of the meat.

I'm not really sure what to call this, but it's eggs and that's it, really. I love it when my mom makes this but I always fail when I try to. Basically its beaten eggs with equal parts water (this one also has scallions and maybe a little bit of fermented shrimp in there) and then its steamed...I think? My mom's kind comes out very silky and smooth, a little like jello, but this kind is more porous I guess. I like both kinds.

I only took a picture of one side dish because this one is my favorite. It's acorn jelly in soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and scallions. There is a white version of this and I'm not sure what it's made out of. I used to prefer that when I was younger, but now I really like the nuttiness of the acorn kind.

korean food

2011-12-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

I never eat Korean food any more. I thought that once I moved to New York, I would eat it a lot since it was easily accessible, unlike in Providence, but I guess that never happened. It's expensive! And it takes a lot of time to make. But also, I feel like nothing can really beat my mom's cooking, so now it's just something I eat a lot when I go home. It's weird because this is what I would eat every day until I went to college, and now it's just a special thing. I don't know how my taste buds have to learned to adjust without it. All this food is not Korean food anybody would eat on a daily basis though...it's more "Hey Mom, I haven't had Korean food in so long. These are the things I want to eat."

My mom had this waiting for met when I got home from the airport, including cabbage and radish kimchee that my aunts made (which is a big deal) and sent from Korea. We get packages of kimchee every so often and the mailman always gives us weird looks, probably because the packages smell funny

This is one of my favorite things, ox tail soup. Because of the light, it looks like its all oil and fat, but it isn't really. You just boil oxtails for a very very very long time and keep adding water as it evaporates. The other version of this requires you to boil the soup for over 24 hours and it becomes a lot milkier and richer. Then you let it cool down, and once the fat solidifies and floats to the surface (gross I know) you take that all out. My mom does this whole process twice. I don't know why people are willing to do that but I'm glad they do because it tastes so good. Then you add salt and green onions.

This trashy Korean food. It's budae jiigae, which means "army base stew." This originated after the Korean War because there wasn't very much food to eat, and so people made use of the surplus food from the U.S. Army bases. So...basically it was a big boiling pot of kimchee and weird canned meats and sausages, miscellaneous noodles and I guess any other ingredients that were available. This is why my mom used to let us eat Spam when I was younger, then she learned that it was gross and she stopped using it. But really, I can't lie, it's good and SOMETIMES, my dad and I think about it and miss it. We hadn't had it probably since I was maybe 10, and we ordered this stew at a restaurant and got really excited to see the little fake meat bits, even though my mom wanted us to not eat them. We probably should have listened to her because it made us feel queasy.

This is my mom's version and she uses those sausages you put on toothpicks, beef chunks, udon noodles, tofu, and kimchee. It's so good but my mom only makes it when I come home because it's not really something you should eat often. I think this is why my dad looks forward to my visits, or else he never gets to eat this.

This is jajangmyeon, which is derived from the Chinese version of this dish. Its wheat noodles and a sauce made with black soybean paste, diced meat (or seafood), and vegetables. I LOVE this. It's a really popular delivery food in Korea, and I know this is the first thing I'm gonna get when I get there. But that black sauce gets everywhere! Or I'm the world's messiest eater. When I was little my mom told me that if I kept picking my nose, I would grow a mustache (what). I remember picking my nose, then having this for lunch, and then going to the bathroom to see this black sauce all over my face and I FREAKED OUT because I thought a grew a mustache. Worst day of my life.

This is pig's feet, which I really learned only a few years ago. My mom never told me what it was since she thought I would be grossed out, which I was. But by that point, I already liked eating it too much to care. Plus, I think that I knew what it was the whole time since its name has the word "feet" in it, but I just decided to ignore that fact. The pigs feet are cleaned (seriously, no little hairs have ever been found), and then boiled I think with some rice vinegar and ginger (maybe more things) until they're soft, then the bones are removed and they get sliced. It's served with cabbage or lettuce, which helps to balance out the heavy meatiness of it. And also with a super salty fermented shrimp sauce...you only need a little dab of that.

AND we usually get the jokbal (pig's feet) with this, which is called soondae. I'm not gonna tell you what it's made out of because I don't like to think about it. I'm not even entirely sure I know what's in it besides noodles because my mom won't tell me because she knows I will get weirded out. Or I do know, and I've chosen to forget about it. She just tells me to eat it, and I gladly do because it's great.

And all this comes with sliced radishes and raw oysters.

I dedicate this entry to my pal Neal, who is in Germany and is an amazing food buddy because he will try anything with me. And I miss him :(

trashy

2011-12-03T21:41:00.000-08:00

I ate really well at home, and my mom made me lots of good food, but I had to have have some of the trashy things I really missed.

Cobb salad from the Cheesecake Factory
I never go to these big chain restaurants when I'm here because I feel like there are so many other options I should try. But when I'm at home, I like them a lot, I don't know why.

Auntie Anne's regular pretzel, my favorite mall snack
I hadn't been inside a mall in so so long! My mom made me go on Black Friday, I made her get me a pretzel.

Dick's Special Burger and fries

I love Seattle so I really want to have extreme Seattle pride and say these are the best burgers ever, but that would be a lie. But Dick's is one of my favorite burgers. It's the perfect, greasy fast food but you don't feel as disgusting eating it like when you eat White Castle. They're so simple, soft and warm, like a loaf of hamburger bread or something. It just feels so cozy in your hands..and in your mouth.

thanksgiving

2011-12-01T17:25:00.000-08:00

THIS IS MY CITY!!!!!

HEY, I'm back. I went to Seattle for Thanksgiving. It's the first time I've been home for Thanksgiving in 4 years and the first time I've been home in a year! Seattle is amazing and I missed it so much. It was overcast most of the time, but there were a few nice days. When I woke up and saw the Olympics, I freaked out. It was so beautiful and serene and quiet. The flight back to New York was even more amazing because I could see all the mountains peeking out from the clouds. Man, I forgot how great it is to see snow-capped mountains and evergreens every day. PACIFIC NORTHWEST IN MY HEART FOREVER UNTIL I DIE

Thanksgiving dinner was good, pretty standard things except the dumplings ha. We went over to a family friend's, like we usually do, so I didn't make anything. I missed cooking a huge dinner with Neal and trying cool recipes. I get to make Christmas dinner though and I'm excited about that.

airport food

2011-11-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

Airport food
The plan was to get drunk before getting on my flight but I forgot how expensive airport anything is. I made a comment about it and got a dirty look from the waiter, but you know what, like if my Bud Light costs more than the minimum wage, something is wrong.

I've eaten a lot since I've been home. Yesterday I gained 5 lbs in the course of the day. I will post all my home food when I get back to New York. Blogging in New York distracts me from my unemployment, but at home, I can look at mountains and let my parents be nice to me, so whatever about my blog for the few days that I'm home. Washington is great.

cleaning out my fridge

2011-11-23T08:22:00.000-08:00

Scrambled eggs with spinach and onion with toast and jam
This was my breakfast and now I gotta go to the airport!

I'm going back to Seattle today! Just for a week, but a week is long enough for food to go bad, so I spent most of yesterday and the day before trying to eat my way through the fridge. I think I got most of it...the only things left are cheese and condiments, and I think that will last. It's exciting because that means I can go buy lots of new food. It's like getting a new wardrobe, except this is way better.

weekend of food

2011-11-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

I tried this ramen place in Midtown called Totto Ramen with Dylan. The wait on a Saturday night was so long, but definitely worth it.

Totto chicken paitan ramen
"These straight homemade noodles are cooked al dente style in a whole chicken and premium soy sauce based soup topped with scallion, onion, char siu pork, and a nori."

I haven't had very much (non-instant) ramen, but the place I liked the most is Minca. Now, I think I have a new favorite place. Actually, no, I don't necessarily like one place more than the other because the ramen is made differently and I like each place for what it is. The ramen I like at Minca is made with a pork and chicken broth and has more toppings. This ramen from Totto is made with an all chicken broth. It's not as salty and is a little bit simpler, but tastes richer and heartier, I think. It might also be because it was really cold outside.

A piece of really fatty char siu pork

Pomme frite with Vietnamese pineapple mayo and the 3 free sauces they give you
These french fries are obviously just an excuse to eat globs of mayo and not feel guilty.

Octopus balls from Otayaku
This is the 2nd or 3rd time I've had these, and I love them. I don't think I could eat much more than 2 or 3 though. But then again, I haven't really tried to.

Dough Donuts

2011-11-20T20:05:00.000-08:00

Best donuts I've ever ever had!!!
Clockwise: chocolate w/ cocoa nibs, hibiscus, dulce de leche, blood orange, plain, something with cocoa nibs, cafe au lait, berry glaze, cheesecake with graham cracker crumbles, nutella cream

pies n thighs

2011-11-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

Chicken n waffles

My chicken biscuit with homefries

Close up shot of the buttery, hot sauce drenched inside of my biscuit!!
The biscuits are so good and sweet, which goes well with the spicy chicken. I ate all that butter

today

2011-11-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

Grilled chicken salad with cucumbers, tomato, avocado, croutons, egg and balsamic dressing. I only remembered after I had eaten everything, but eating chicken and eggs together is strange. I felt sort of weird after that, but flavor wise, I like it.

Roast beef sandwich with brie, mustard, and caramelized onions on oatmeal bread. I also had a little bit of tomato soup to go with it. I have been trying different cheeses on my roast beef sandwiches and I think I like brie on it the most but only if there are bell peppers. Otherwise, I think I prefer bleu cheese. It gives everything a nice kick.

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

2011-11-16T15:07:00.001-08:00

The past few days I have been on this intestinal cleanse/detoxifying kick because I haven't been feeling great. But I haven't taken it that seriously because 1. I don't actually know what that means and 2. I'm not that committed and can't be bothered to make the effort. So mostly this means I've been drinking lots of Yogi teas like Ginger for digestion or "Detox" and "Get Regular" (guess what kind of tea that is!!) and taking acidophilous. And actually I have been feeling pretty good and not wanting to eat cheese or things that usually make me feel bad. My day yesterday started out nice and healthy. But then I went to Chinatown because I wanted to wander around and get to know Lower Manhattan better...

And I got dim sum at Nom Wah Tea Parlor and today I don't feel so great again. But that place is great, hot, and cheap! It's sort of in a tricky place to find, but if I can find it, anybody can find it. And that's saying something because somebody once told me I couldn't crawl out of a wet paper bag even if I tried.

Stick rice with Chinese sausage

Turnip cakes, one of my favorite things to order

Shrimp shu mai

Steamed pork bun

It was worth the mild discomfort today, but man, Chinese food is oily. Maybe if I grew up eating it more, I would be used to it, but sometimes it's too much. My dad can't even eat too much of it anymore. But I also think that he has tricked himself into believing that he's actually Korean.

Damascus and my dinner

2011-11-14T14:46:00.000-08:00

The inside of my whole wheat spinach & feta pie from Damascus in Cobble Hill.
Cool ring borrowed from and made by my pal Jeremy.

Ooo, this picture looks so fake. I gotta learn not to go overboard with any of those "effects" on Camera+ but it's sort of fun and everything looks bad in my kitchen's sickly yellow lighting anyway. Salmon and lots of spinach with chick peas, pretty boring.

inside/outside

2011-11-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

I started using my Camera + app on my iPhone in hopes that it would make my crappy phone pictures look a little better, but I think it just looks like I don't know how to use Photoshop very well. But maybe not? Oh well, I hope these still make you hungry.

The inside of my omelete (1 egg), which has the left over stuffing that didn't fit into the pepper I made a few days ago. It has corn, black beans, zucchini, and tomato, plus a little mozzarella and avocado.

Outside

The inside of my sandwich: roast beef, bleu cheese, red onions, mustard on sunflower seed bread

Outside and the rest of the avocado from this morning

baked sweet potato fries

2011-11-13T07:25:00.000-08:00

These are so easy to make, just cut them up fry shaped, toss them in some olive oil and salt, and bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes, flip the fries, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. That sort of gross looking green blob is my attempt at making a pesto-mayo dip, and it tasted great.

2011-11-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

I had sort of a boring lunch today. Actually, no, it was good, but I've eaten it like 5 times this week. But I wanted to pack a lunch and eat outside since it was so beautiful today. It's another turkey, brie and cranberry sandwich, but this time with avocado too. I like adding the cranberry because the tartness compliments the brie nicely. And the spicy mustard is nice too. I can't wait to make this sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers. I also had an apple cider from the farmers market in Union Square and it was really good, a little sweet and a little tart. I wish I had gotten it hot instead though.

chinatown food

2011-11-11T14:53:00.000-08:00

Soup dumplings from Joe's Ginger (or Shanghai...not really sure, same thing though). I don't know why this picture is so orange and glowing

BBQ Pork Bahn Mi from Bahn Mi Saigon
I wish that the fillings were put in a little differently so I could get a bite of everything at once, but instead they're stacked vertically so when you eat the sandwich like normal person, you get a bite of all vegetables and a bite of all meat. But it all tastes so good that it's not really that big of an issue.

green dinner

2011-11-10T17:51:00.000-08:00

Raw kale, spinach, avocado w/ olive oil, salt, and lemon juice

I really want to love kale a lot, but it just isn't happening. I like it enough and I like to cook with it sometimes, but I'm not crazy about it. I prefer it cooked instead of raw.

2011-11-10T04:52:00.000-08:00

Turkey, brie, cranberry and mustard on sunflower seed bread

lunch

2011-11-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

Bell pepper stuffed with black beans, corn, zucchini, onions, and tomatoes with 1/4 an avocado and some crackers. That blob is Frank's hot sauce, not ketchup, but I would rather have had tabasco sauce.

I only ate half of this pepper, it was so huge. I never really know how to eat a whole stuffed pepper, it's much easier when it's just a half. Next time I would like to make it more of a 4 layer dip inside the pepper instead...like black beans, guacamole, tomatoes, and cheese. Maybe even a little sour cream!

mitoushi in cobble hill

2011-11-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

I was walking around Atlantic Ave. in Cobble Hill yesterday, and passed by this sushi place. The menu said that the rolls (standard ones like California or spicy tuna) were $2.95. I didn't try it because I thought sushi that cheap would be gross. Ugh, but I think David has turned me into a sushi addict because I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I went back today after getting some groceries, and it was totally worth it. The fish is fresh and delicious. The rice fell apart a little to easily, but I paid $6.95 for this lunch special so I'm not going to complain.

Salad with ginger dressing. I think they must keep their lettuce in ice water or something, it's so crispy and cold. Also, how obvious is it that I used a "special effects" option on Camera+ app?

5 pieces of sushi and a California roll
I don't know what all the types of fish are. Please tell me if you do.

kale pasta round 2

2011-11-05T17:37:00.001-07:00

I wanted to give my kale another chance. This time I had a lot of left over butternut squash soup and I wasn't really in the mood for more soup. So instead, I used it as a sort of sauce, which was a great idea. It was very creamy and the sweetness was a nice balance to the kale, which I enjoyed much more this time. My only mistake was that I added a bit too much salt, whoops.

court street bagels

2011-11-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Whole wheat sesame bagel with tofu cream cheese and tomato

So I am not a bagel expert but now that I'm in bagel city, I think that I know a little bit more about them. My ultimate bagel, I think, has a nice crust that has a little bit of a crunch to it and the inside is soft and moist, but not too fluffy, and a little chewy but not too dense. Then it would have cream cheese and lox piled on top, but I my stomach can't too much cream cheese and I can't really pay for lox these days. This bagel is good, but not the best. It had a nice crunch but was a little too moist on the inside, like it was almost soggy, which sounds gross but it wasn't that extreme. I just can't think of a better word. Also, this place puts way too much cream cheese on a bagel. But the tofu cream cheese is good. It's obviously not as great as the real thing (and it's not even healthier ha) but it comes close enough. There is something a little bit off about the texture though, its just a little grainy or something, but it doesn't bother me.

tuna favorite combo whatever

2011-11-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a tuna sandwich combining different elements of some tuna sandwiches I have loved. Tuna with pickles, for some crunch, with avocado for creaminess to replace too much mayo, mustard for a kick, and eggs because...I like them. It adds a fun texture. It sounds like too many ingredients, but it was really not and I liked it a lot.

fall food

2011-11-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Pasta with kale and mushrooms sauteed in garlic, plus Parmesan cheese. This was good, but a little bit boring, I think probably because it was mostly just kale and pasta. Next time I'll chop up the kale some more, add butternut squash instead of mushrooms, and maybe some sausage.

I guess kale is a really fall food, but I'm not THAT into it. I really like it, but I don't get all the hype over kale. Sometimes I wonder if it's one of those foods people have tricked themselves into loving because it's healthy. I mean, I do that all the time when I'm eating carrots and wishing they were actually Cheetos. Not really, because I really like carrots, but you know. I'm not a jerk.

2011-11-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

Egg in a basket/toad in a hole/egg in a hole in my toast with 1/4 an avocado

honey turkey, brie, spinach, honey mustard on oatmeal bread + 1/2 a honey crisp apple

I feel so wholesome after eating this today...like I should go out into my non-existent yard and swing in my tire swing and scrape my knee and come back inside for a cold glass of milk. It reminds me of something my mom would make for me in 3rd grade, but not really because my mom is Korean and I had after school snacks like rice wrapped with nori and spicy cucumbers.

Brooklyn Label

2011-10-30T15:36:00.000-07:00

Really huge veggie burger made with black beans, topped with pickles, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and guacamole with fries. From Brooklyn Label in Greenpoint (sry Kate)

I don't really like ordering the vegetarian version of things, like tofu sausage or veggie chilli or ~vegetarian fajitas~ and its really all bell peppers and rice. I need some steak in there, ok? I also avoid veggie burgers because I don't think that they are an acceptable substitute for a 1/2 patty of ground beef. And I feel like there's no in between...they either are awful or they are great, and usually I think they're awful. But today I wasn't feeling prepared for that much meat and the veggie burgers here are supposedly really good, so I gave it a chance. It was a great decision. It's enormous and dense, like it didn't crumble apart like some veggie burgers I've had. I could only eat half. My only problem with this "burger" is that there really wasn't that much guacamole, and I didn't even notice it. I hate it when restaurants include guacamole/avocado on or with your food then hardly give you any at all, as if the extra $1.50 they added to the price was really worth it. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. Like, come on, if the guacamole is spread so thin that the bun looks like it's growing mold, there's not enough on there for it to make a difference so why bother? Even Chipotle gives me more guacamole than that.

today

2011-10-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

Shake Shack!!! I still think that Shake Shack is one of my favorite burgers ever.

I had more butternut squash soup with corn from the farmers market and a grilled cheese

takahachi

2011-10-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Mediocre sushi from Takahachi: nothing special, salmon & avocado, spicy tuna
The fish itself was fresh and good, but the rolls were weirdly warm, which I didn't like. I would go back and give it another shot if there weren't so many other sushi places around it to try.

risotto

2011-10-25T15:15:00.001-07:00

I made risotto last night with Mel. My favorite part of making risotto is when you add the white wine and suddenly your kitchen is warm and smells like buttery wine.

Cooking in the vegetable broth

Butternut squash risotto with sweet Italian sausage and Parmesan cheese!
This came out so tasty, but it was more sausage and cheesey than squash-y, which is alright by me. I think part of the reason is that there wasn't enough squash (the one I had was a little small) and also this squash was not as flavorful. Maybe I picked a not very ripe one or something. It just wasn't very sweet at all. I haven't really cooked with butternut squash very much though... how can you tell if you've picked a good one? Next time, I'm going to smoosh the squash and stir it in, instead of putting it in as chunks.

I had left over risotto but most of the sausage was all eaten, so I put in some shrimp. Now I am out of shrimp.

Sweet potato fries with 6 kinds of dips. Clockwise: BBQ, some sort of mayonaise based dip, chipotle ketchup, honey dijon, mayo-dip again by mistake, basil pesto, and regular ketchup which I got after I took this picture. The only reason I got fries is so I could try all the dips, but the fries are also really good as well. It is the perfect mix of salty and sweet (not like kettle corn, ugh) and they are perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The best dips are the basil pesto (is that redundant or is basil pesto called pesto alla genovese?) and the mayo dip. The honey dijon is just too intense and the chipotle ketchup tastes burnt.

ALSO, here is the recipe I used for just the risotto. Then you can add butternut squash or sausage or whatever you'd like in there:
2 cups of arborio rice
5 cups of vegetable broth (I actually only had 4, so I used 1 cup of water)
1 1/2 cups of white wine
2 tablespoons of butter
1 small yellow onion (I used 1/2 a big red onion because it was all I had, but sweet yellow onions will be better, probably)
1 cup of parm cheese
Salt

1. Chop up your onion and cook it in the butter
2. While the onion is cooking, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer
3. Once the onions are soft, put in the rice and make sure it gets mixed up in the butter. Let it get toasty for like 2 minutes
4. Add the wine and let it cook until all the liquid is absorbed
5. Then add a ladle full of warm vegetable broth, cook until it is absorbed, then add more until it's all the broth is gone. If you run out of broth and it's not cooked, you can add water.
6. Once it's cooked (don't keep adding liquid if it's already cooked!!), mix in the parmesean cheese and sausage and squash and be happy

soup

2011-10-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Butternut squash soup and you can see some sneaky shrimp poking out.
I'm so glad soup weather is here. The only thing missing is a blender so I can start to make my own soup, but that will happen soon. For now, I've been testing different soups (not the can or box kind) from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. This one is the best so far. It's sweet and a little spicy and really filling. I thought shrimp and butternut squash would be weird, but I wanted to eat the rest of the shrimp I made. It turns out that it's a good combination.

shrimp & polenta

2011-10-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Shrimp in a little bit of left over tomato sauce I made on polenta. Next time I'll cook my polenta with 1/2 chicken stock and 1/2 water because it was a little bland. Although, when I dont do that with grits and I just put in a little butter, and I think it's perfect. I don't really know the difference between polenta and grits though... I think that they're made from different types of corn and that grits are a little coarser (or is it the other way around?). Apparently there is a big difference between polenta and hominy grits, but I can't taste it. Maybe I would have to try them side by side to really be able to tell the difference.

Bahn Mi Saigon

2011-10-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

1/2 of a bbq pork bahn mi (I think) from Bahn Mi Saigon in Little Italy (MAYBE??? Chinatown?? I still haven't figured out wheres what in that part of Manhattan). This sandwich is so cheap, $4.50 for a whole (I shared)!! And so good.

roast beef sandwich

2011-10-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

I didn't wake up in time to make my lunch, so I went to this weird, gubby pub on 19th & 7th Ave. I saw 1 homeless guy, 1 old lady alcoholic who drank 5 glasses of wine while I was there, 12 senior citizens that I'm pretty sure came on a group bus, and a cop. I sort of liked it in there. I had a roast beef sandwich with grilled onions and cheese and steak fries. It was bad, but also delicious. I mean, who doesn't love greasy bar food? This picture is really bad because it was really dark down there.

pad thai

2011-10-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Vegetarian pad thai from Laut in the Flatiron/Union Square. This place is actually a Malaysian restaurant, but they have some Thai food as well and I really wanted pad thai and this was the closest thing when I googled "pad thai + flatiron."

I was trying to not eat out at all this week and bring my lunch to work, but I ate that an hour into my internship. Then I had to go out in the muggy haze/rain (hey Seattle weather) and carry back this package of plexiglass that was almost too big for my arm span. It wouldn't have been so bad, but since when did people stop understanding that "excuse me, please" means "get the hell out of my way"? So I decided I would calm myself down by putting food in my face. This was okay. It tasted good but it was sort of too soft and majorly skimpy on the tofu. This place is supposed to be really good...it even has a Michelin star, which I thought was weird. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing (it was still good). I'll try it again sometime and maybe it will be better. Everyone else at the restaurant seemed to really be into their food.

my tuna sandwich

2011-10-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

I tried to make my own tuna sandwich with mustard and eggs and avocados. It was good. I'm too hungry to write more.

bklyn larder

2011-10-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to go to Bklyn Larder forever, and I finally went with Melissa today. Happiest birthday to one of my favorite food buddies!!!

Melissa's ham & gruyere sandwich

My tuna and anchovy sandwich. I love tuna sandwiches, but I've had so many gross ones that are overloaded with mayo or dripping with mysterious fishy things. This one is definitely great (not the greatest I've had though). It's got capers (good!!) and anchovies in it with sliced hard boiled eggs on top. Instead of mayo, it has a generous amount of olive oil to keep it moist. And that's the kind of drippy sandwich I don't mind. I thought it was a little bit expensive for its size, but I feel like sandwiches in New York cost a lot of money for some reason. I used to think of sandwiches as a cheap meal, but not really any more.

2011-10-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

I know berry season is over, but fall fruit, like apples and pears, make me itchy unless I cut off the skin or cook them. And I really wanted berries in my salad, which also has walnuts, avocados, and goat cheese. This is a summer salad I guess, and I'm getting really ready for fall food. Today was such a beautiful fall day and now I'm baking cinnamon rolls (not the real kind though) so my apartment will feel warm and cozy. When I go back to Seattle for Thanksgiving, I'm going to bring back a blender and mandolin slicer so I can make soup and slice squash.

2011-10-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Whole wheat baguette with lox, avocado, and an over easy egg

Polenta with mushroom, roasted bell pepper with gorgonzola

dinner again

2011-10-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

I know I'm not all about having the most HQ pictures, but this one looks so dumb, with the plate hanging off the edge and everything. Oh well. This was my dinner: garlic chicken sausage, a salad, boiled potatoes, and corn. I got all the vegetables at the Union Square Greenmarket. I only went there to buy lettuce, and then I lost control. Then I went to Whole Foods and got the sausage and berries because they aren't in season and therefore not sold at the farmers market. I guess the right thing to do would have been to just not buy them at all, but I want what I want when I want it and I am not mature enough to keep it under control. I bought chicken sausage because I felt like it would be better for me than pork, but it just doesn't taste as good. Maybe the other kind I got will taste better.

better late than never

2011-10-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Too late for too many words. Goat cheese salad from Medina's Cafe...Mezclun mix, walnuts, tomatoes, potatoes, goat cheese, goddess dressing

2 dinners

2011-10-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

My dinner yesterday: portobello mushroom and left over steak sandwich with tomato, arugula, and goat cheese. I didn't really like it, but I think that I did a bad job of putting it together. I was so hurried and hungry and it came out dry and tasteless.

Dinner tonight: salad with tomatoes, avocados, artichoke hearts, olives and salmon, plus corn
This sort of looks like a mess because it put the salad in a tupperware and shook it all up so the dressing would get on everything. I always end up over dressing my salads because when I pour it on, it doesn't distribute evenly. This sort of worked better but I should start measuring things instead of eye balling them. Anyway, this was all really good and filling. I was impressed that I got full without having to eat any starch. I'm such a carb-hound.

**I have just been informed that corn is a starch. :(**

Num Pang

2011-10-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this picture, but I'm too excited to wait to share about this sandwich I got from Num Pang, on the corner of 12 & University Pl. It's hard to find it if you're not looking very hard because its a hole-in the wall, really. I only noticed it because there was a long line. Num Pang is actually a Cambodian sandwich place, I don't know if this really counts as Bahn Mi, but whatever, it was a Southeast Asian sandwich and that's what I have been dying for. It's been a long time since I've had a sandwich this good and I wish I hadn't been eating it alone. It would have been nice to have somebody to freak out about it with, but instead I just had to sit silently at a counter with 4 lawyers who were freaking out to each other about how good the sandwiches were.

5 spice pork belly sandwich with pickled Asian pear, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, and house made chilli mayonnaise ($7.75). The pork belly comes in one slab and it was so meltingly soft but crispy, I could have cried. The Asian pear was also a great addition because it's sweet and sour and crunchiness helped to balance out the fatty pork. Although when I ate a piece that fell out of my sandwich by itself, it was so sour, a few tears came out. The mayonnaise is also very good, but I'm not sure that I noticed the chilli in it. The bread is also different than Bahn Mi bread, a little more solid, I guess. It was incredibly messy to eat, but I had no problem licking the sandwich remnants that made their way onto my hands. I have no shame. This was so delicious, and I think I'm going to go back tomorrow and try the pulled pork or catfish sandwich. It's a little more expensive than what I wanted/expected to pay, but it's definitely worth it.

2011-10-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

Avocado and tomato and lox and tomato on Eli's Health Bread. This is the first time I've tried Eli's bread and I bought it at Fairway. I tried really hard to avoid bread, and by tried really hard, I meant I spent a few minutes in the store staring at the loaves of bread, willing myself not to buy one. But since I can't stay away from it, I thought I would try a healthier route, and it's really really good. It's whole grains mixed with sunflower, sesame, and flax seeds and it's very thick and hearty. I like the crunch that comes from it without even having to toast it. Also, those are actually salmon "end bits" because it was cheaper than buying the real packages of lox. Tastes just as good to me.

2011-10-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

I had all these vegetables that were going to go bad soon, so I decided to make fried rice, but then I put sort of thew it all together on top of a pile of rice instead. Pork chops marinated in a ginger-sesame soy sauce whatever, asparagus, and shittake mushrooms. I wasn't really thinking about it when I did it but it tasted alright.

yom kippur and something else

2011-10-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Melissa invited me over to break fast with her family yesterday for Yom Kippur. I hope that I am welcomed into this home for every Jewish holiday.

I could only eat 1 bagel but I piled on the fish.

Can you tell that I used "Instagram" on my iPhone to take this picture? I think it looks sort of stupid. I mean, it's cool, I guess and looks nice in a weird way, but it doesn't go with my blog. At least I tried it. This salad = spinach, strawberries, avocado, goat cheese, and walnuts

ALSO, I just read the "Guide to Hamburger Styles" on Serious Eats and that was really helpful and fun to read. You should read it too! Now I finally can describe how a burger from Paul's is better than one from a steak house, and why I prefer the one from Paul's. I wish that I was better at articulating my feelings about food and eating beyond "Ugh, this is so good." But that's hard when I'm in a constantly comatose from eating too much or thinking of food.

2011-10-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

I would never survive as a vegetarian or on a raw diet (tried that for like 1 hour, didn't work). Yep, I made steak again because I still had this one from when I went to Costco last time. I was a little nervous because it was frozen and I was worried I would make it too dry, but no!!! It was so juicy and perfectly cooked and the best steak I have ever made.

What it looked like on the inside.

I finished that whole thing in one sitting. It took a little over an hour for me to do it. I got about half way through and felt really full, but it just tasted so good I didn't want to stop. Then I got about 3/4 of the way done, and didn't think I could go on but then I was nervous that eating this reheated would not taste as good or even in a sandwich. So I persevered. I had about 4 bites left and almost gave up, but then I realized I didn't come this far to give up. Then I finished it. That is called dedication and determination, and to any future employers who are reading this, this is why you should hire me. I am committed and also running out of money to buy steaks.

grilled cheeZe

2011-10-07T19:29:00.001-07:00

Grilled cheese made with goat cheese brie (that's one kind of cheese, not goat cheese and brie) and avocado. Plus orange juice because this was my breakfast.

3 pictures for 3 days

2011-10-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Except that title is a lie since I ate all of this in one day, but I feel bad for missing 2 days of food blogging. Can I update it from my iPhone? I would if I knew how.

I went back to Eissenberg's. Thursday's special is the Meatloaf sandwich. I got that plus potato salad plus extra gravy and pickles. You can also get a meatloaf platter. The sandwich is just some meatloaf shoved between some bread, but I guess that is what a sandwich is anyway. I'm just used to sandwiches having like more than 2 ingredients and extra frills, but this place doesn't make sandwiches like that. That's what makes it good though.. I think it's the sort of food that I would use the word "honest" to describe. Anyway, this sandwich was great. I just poured some gravy onto it and went to town. I probably looked pretty gross sitting at the counter alone with gravy running down my face. The potato salad was not good though. It was just weirdly vingeary and choked me with the mayonaise. Gag

Pho from Nam Son
This was fine, but I think I have had lots of better pho in Seattle. I probably just haven't found a good place here yet though.

What are these called in Japanese? They are little fried balls with octopus bits and..I don't even know. It seemed like some savory pancake batter but with a more solid consistency. I'm guessing on top is some kewpie mayonaise and dried fish flakes. Real good, I would eat a bucket

easter

2011-10-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

I guess I have been posting lots of food from the past, and I don't know if that is food blog cheating, but I don't have anything to show for today!

When I was in Rome, we all made Easter dinner, and it was wonderful and happy. All I can remember is that it was delicious and there was so much food and wine and then my memory goes fuzzy. I can't believe that this was so long ago (but not really) and now I'm not even in college anymore. Bummer

Profiterole!

Golden Mall

2011-10-03T08:25:00.001-07:00

Went to the Golden Mall after the book fair at PS1. I can't stay away from this place, it's too good. Except I have been ordering the same thing a lot, and I think that next time I go, I'm going to have to try something else. I've just been afraid of some of the non-English menus, especially since they assume that I can speak Chinese and it's embarrassing. I don't even know if it's in Mandarin or Cantonese or what region this food comes from. I have really neglected learning about the Chinese half of me. Oops

Scallion pancakes in the street! I watched this lady pull a hair off of one of them, yup. Then I'm pretty sure that's the one she gave me, but it got cooked so I'm not that grossed out, or at least I'm not going to think about it anymore. These are different that Korean scallion pancakes. They are a lot more doughy and chewy and they fold them up and you eat them like fair food.

The noodle guy pulling noodles

Roast duck pulled noodles
I have always ordered the oxtail noodles, but Mel and Matt ordered this and it made me wish I had too. I don't know if they use different broth or if the broth just picks the flavors of the duck, but it is good. The broth is still light, but it tasted a little heavier or something. Like...it felt like I was drinking duck and not a duck broth... I don't know if that makes sense but it's the only way I can think of describing it. They said that the duck had a lot of bones though. I didn't try any of the actual duck myself

My oxtail noodles
It wasn't as good as the last times I've had it, but still great anyway, especially since it was cold outside. I put in the smallest drop of the chilli oil or whatever, and totally underestimated how spicy it was. It burns.

2011-10-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

Grits, corn beef hash and two eggs over easy (plus toast and so much butter)
This is from John's Coffee Donut Shop on the corner of Hall & Myrtle. It was so so crowded, and the cooks were moving so fast, I couldn't stop watching them. Anyway, it's just simple diner food. Like the kind that maybe comes out of a box and is really greasy, but it doesn't really matter because it's Sunday morning and you only have $5 in your pocket. And sometimes it's the kind of food that you want. Plus they are super nice and speedy. The grits were a little clumpy and the corn beef hash was a little soggy, but the eggs were cooked super perfect just how I like them. Obviously this isn't what you want if you are looking for a "nice" breakfast, but if you're hungry and not a snobby eater, whatever man, it's good.

2 pizza day

2011-10-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Oops, I missed a day of blogging and consequently my blog views have dropped like flies! It's really unsatisfying to see that. I like instant gratification. I left home then didn't come back all day, so I had pizza twice. One was good and cheap the other was bad and overpriced. Oh well.

Good pizza: "The Newman" from this pizza chain called Two Boots on Bleecker St. It has sausage and sopresatta on a while pizza. They have lots of weird specialty pizzas here.

I don't even know what this mess of a pizza is and I also don't know how I ended up at this restaurant in Little Italy or why we were there, I think it was my fault. This also probably explains why I still ate more than half of the pizza even though I was very critical of it. Judging by this picture, it has arugula, pecorino romano, and sausage, which all sounds great put when it tasted like it was on top of a heated up frozen pizza, but maybe like 1.5 steps up from that. I mean I eat frozen pizza and I like it, but not if I have to pay whatever I paid for this. But that's what I get for not eating anything but that 1 pizza slice all day and hoping that would be enough to keep me going through the night. I am such a messy eater sometimes too. I remember having a hard time with this one.

bugers 4ever

2011-09-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

I don't think I can ever eat too many hamburgers. Gotta love that Asian metabolism...or whatever it is that is keeping me from reaching a dangerous size.

This burger is from New York Burger Co. This burger falls into a different category than the one from Paul's, but I don't really know how to describe it. It's not really a greasy diner burger or the kind of patty, cheese, bun burger that tastes like its been cooked in butter sent from heaven. But it's also not some gourmet kobe beef burger from a nice restaurant, obviously. I guess it's that weird in-between burger that restaurant chains have that don't can't get too fancy but want to be better than trashy, so they give their burgers titles, like this one the "Chelsea Burger." I have no idea how onion rings and a chipotle honey sauce epitomizes Chelsea in a burger, but that's what it is. I thought it was good, and the sort of sweet-spiciness was nice too. I don't know how to describe the way the meat tastes different than a Pauls burger, but it does. Maybe it just tastes more like beef? I have no clue. It's enormous.

more food from the summer

2011-09-28T17:29:00.001-07:00

I didn't want to put up a picture of my dinner or lunch today because I had Chipotle in a bowl and that just looks like mush, and my dinner was same thing as "Dinner with Molly" except with different flavors and it didn't look nice. I made some soy ginger salmon that I rubbed with brown sugar, then marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. It was good, but I think I went a little bit overboard with the sodium...I'll watch out next time. I also had green beans, which I guess I am also allergic to because I am so itchy right now.

Neal made california rolls this summer.

blast from the recent past

2011-09-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

I don't have any pictures from food I ate today because I wasn't very hungry all day and only ate some cauliflower and and other miscellaneous snack-type things. I was going to make this ginger salmon, which is marinating in the fridge, but decided not to because I am trying this thing where I don't eat if I'm not hungry. It's a crazy concept and actually requires way more self control than I thought. Who knew

Corned beef and tongue sandwich from Carnegie Deli. Holy cow, these sandwiches are so outrageously large. Why? I could feed myself for a week on this sandwich. I don't really remember how to this tasted. I mean, I've had it before and I liked it so I ordered it again and I liked it again, but I don't remember the specifics. The only thing that got me was the tongue. It tastes really good and I have had tongue several times before, but this time it just looked SO MUCH like a tongue. like when all the pieces were stacked on each other, I felt like I could see the whole tongue just flopping on my sandwich. I could even see the little taste bud bits, gross. I don't think this will stop me from eating tongue again, but I think next time it will have to be a little less recognizable.

Dinner with Julia

2011-09-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

I took Julia to Costco for her first time. Then this dinner happened. Roasted garlicky blue potatoes (thx Jermy), asparagus, this steak cooked in butter. Yup

Dinner with Molly

2011-09-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

Salmon, garlicky green beans, mashed potatoes

Going to Costco again, I need a life

leftover breakfast

2011-09-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Leftover mashed potatoes turned into potato pancakes. One with mushrooms and bell peppers and the other with mushy pears because I didn't have apple sauce. The pear one was sort of weird because the mashed potatoes actually have some mashed parsnips in them too. I don't think I'll do that again.

NYC's best burger, apparently

2011-09-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ugh, I don't even have the energy to write about this burger. I'm so full from eating it that just thinking about how it tastes is making me fuller. I don't feel well.

On 2nd Ave & St. Marks Place

For some reason, I didn't think 1/2 a pound of meat was that much. Here is a news flash: it is.
This is just a plain cheeseburger with grilled onions and pickles. That glop is mayo, but I didn't use all of it, too much. If you want tomatoes and lettuce, it's an extra .75 cents, not necessary for this burger. I think this is the best burger I have ever had. Picking the best burger is sort of difficult since there are so many different types, but I generally like the greasy diner burgers the most, and this falls into that category, so it wins. The patty was HUGE so huge and juicy. It was definitely bigger than the bun, which really lacked the structural integrity to support such a patty, but I thought that was ok and half the fun. I don't even know how to describe the taste...I guess like, when you're drunk and you get a so-so or bad fast food burger but in the moment it tastes like the best thing you've ever eaten and it just melts in your mouth like butter. It tastes like that except that you are sober and its juicy, delicious goodness is all real. It's a really basic burger and the ingredients aren't the greatest, but somehow it is the greatest food to ever reach your mouth. The fries were pretty whatever. Not bad, not good, I wouldn't get them again because it was just way too much to eat.

2011-09-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Pork chops with pears in a balsamic vinegar with brown sugar reduction that isn't reduced all the way. On wilted arugula with mashed potatoes. Made this with Jeremy, haven't cooked with him in forever. The new Neal?

Lunch

2011-09-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Made myself this ham sandwich for lunch today, but I ate it before I even left my house to go to my internship. Whoops, frozen yogurt for lunch instead.

Hasaki

2011-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

The East Village is littered with Japanese restaurants!! I went to Hasaki because according to David, it's the best and he loves sushi more than anybody I know.

Clockwise: Yellowtail roll, something I can't remember, salmon and salmon roe and shiso, spicy tuna roll. It was all delicious and fresh. I really liked the salmon roe and shiso together, and I think that was the best spicy tuna roll I've had. That's all I have to say about that. I could play the "I'm Asian" card and pretend to know about sushi, but I really don't.

Grilled banana and sesame ice cream. This was so good! I thought it would be mushy on mush and all too soft, but it wasn't at all. I know ice cream isn't crunchy, but the sesame make it seem that way and it's nice with the warm, soft banana.

Also, am I on a roll with keeping this thing updated or what? But I also think I am less funny now that I'm trying to have a daily blog. I can only bring the jokes so often.

Zito's in Park Slope

2011-09-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

I thought I had posted this already, but I guess not. Actually, it's good because I don't know what picture I would have posted today and that would have been a bummer. Especially since I am going to try to post everyday because I like the satisfaction of not seeing my blog views plummet the next day on my Google Analytics chart. I also feel like my blog is turning into one big Yelp review.

Zito's is an Italian sandwich shop that opened recently in Park Slope. Mel and I went there the first week it was open, so they didn't have any beer available yet. They also have some other food besides sandwiches like arancini and proscuitto wrapped Italian pretzels! Also, if it matters to you, I think that they get most of their ingredients locally, but I'm not 100% sure.

I got the meatball sub. It was huge! It's definitely enough for 2 people, and is cheap for how enormous it is. It was a while ago, so I no longer have the right adjectives in my memory to accurately describe how it tasted, but I do know that it was good. The cheese was very melty and stringy and got every where but I like that. It's actually disappointing when cheese doesn't do that in a hot sandwich. Melissa got the chicken parm sandwich, but that one was not as tasty and juicy as mine. But it was still delicious and definitely not dry, which can be a big problem with chicken parm sandwiches.

sandwiches

2011-09-19T15:00:00.001-07:00

Bea and Neal left for Germany today so I made them airplane sandwiches. I felt like a mom sending her children to first grade or something.

I also made myself this breakfast sandwich

Temple Ganesh Canteen

2011-09-18T17:05:00.000-07:00

I went to Queens again today to get some good food. That borough rules, there is every type of food you can imagine. It's too bad it's not closer. Neal and I have been meaning to go to this place, but it never happened until today, his last day before moving to Berlin!! And I am bummed out because he has been my #1 food buddy for a long time, but he's moving on to the land of beer and sausage so it can't be so bad.

There is this Hindu temple in Murray Hill called Temple Ganesh. In the basement of the temple is this canteen where you can get really cheap Indian food. It's all vegetarian, but it will fill you up real fast. The portions are enormous. I don't really know much about Indian food, so I don't have much to say other than it was delicious. And Anthony Bourdain agrees, so I can't be wrong.

I forget what this is called, but they are like donuts, but a little more dense and savory, not sweet. They are actually pretty bland on their own but are good vehicles for the sauces. I have no idea what the sauces are, yogurt based, I guess. The vegetables on the left are a soup type thing, maybe? At least that's how I approached it, but it was a little too spicy for me to handle.

Rava dosa. I think that basically means this dosa has parsley and onions in it. It's thinner and crispier than the other dosas we ordered.

Butter masala dosa and a mango lassi. The mango lassi was so rich and fruity and cheap! $1 for one of those. I also thought butter dosa meant it would be like..infused with butter, but they really just meant it comes with butter slapped on top. I think I prefer that. On the inside is a potato medley.

These are samosas and yogurt rice. The samosas were alright, a little bit cold, but probably since I didn't eat them right away and waited to for all my food to show up first. But the yogurt rice is SO good! I didn't know what to expect, but I got it anyway. It is a little creamy, like risotto or something, but has some tang to it. It really helps to cut the spiciness of some of the other food.

Uttapam with a sauce to eat with it...I think that unlike the butter masala dosa, the filling came on the side. It's in the bowl on the left and is like a curry. It looks like the soup on the right, but is a different consistency. I can't remember if they tasted similar. The uttapam is like a dosa, but is more pancake-y and thick. It reminded me a little of Ethopian flat bread because it had a little bit of a sour taste to it. But very very slight, and I actually liked it.

There was also some tamarind rice, which I only had a bite of and it was pretty spicy. Then there was a cardamom and mango lassi ice cream bar. I tried the mango lassi one. All fruit type drinks should come frozen and on a stick.

I want to come back here again and again. It's a little bit of a walk from the Flushing-Main stop off the 7, maybe a mile or so, but you'll definitely need the walk after your meal. I have mostly had Indian food that has meat and is based in a lot of cream, so this was a little new to me. It was a lot more starchy and vegetable-based than other things I have tried. Maybe the food I ate today is from a different region than the other types of Indian food I've tried.

things i ate in the east village

2011-09-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I just spent way too much time trying to figure out what version of the word "hedonism" I should use to describe my week of food indulgence but turns out I'm not smart enough to figure that out so I'm not going to use that word after all. This week I made a lot of excuses for eating way more than my stomach and arteries can handle. But it's getting cold and I need to bulk up for the winter.

From Veniero's on 11th & 1st...so many Italian desserts. Jeremy and I went there after a big bowl of ramen from Minca. Even though it was late so many people were in there and every person that came in said, "This is my favorite place in the world!" This is a chocolate cup with sponge cake inside and pistachio creme (cream?). The cake layered between the pistachio creme. It was light and airy, which was nice compared to the creme since it was actually thicker than I thought it would be, and it was fun to eat with the crunchy chocolate shell. But I think it was a little too much (sweet) to handle for one person or even two. But also I like to end my meals on a savory note so maybe it's just me. We also had a carrot cake, which was not as spice-y as other ones I've had and a mini raspberry tart. I like the tart the most and would probably get more of those next time. We had pizza later.

From Mark on St. Mark's Place between 2 & 3rd, I think. Sliders with cheese and onions, plus a huge order of fries. God, this girl next to us didn't even eat all of her fries or get them to go. She even had this hungry, whimpering dog and didn't give him any either. I would not be her friend. These sliders are nothing special if you want a good burger, but they're really perfect if you're drunk/starving/hungry/bored...just some soft, greasy little patties that melt in your mouth in a good way and not in the way those nasty White Castle sliders do. Plus if you go at happy hour you can get good beer for cheap to balance it out or something like that. The fries were good too, maybe a little greasy but I liked that they were skin-on fries. They also have 4 different sauces: BBQ, Jalepeno, Chipotle, and regular ketchup which is good if your food is starting to taste a little too satly. The jalepeno is spicy!

From Bite on 14th & 3rd. I went in here randomly because I was hungry and it was the first place I saw. This is an 1/2 an "exotic tuna sandwich" and a salad with balsamic dressing. The salad is good, but just like anything I'd make at home in 5 seconds but the sandwich was so so tasty. I don't really know what made it "exotic" but it's probably the curry, raisins, and walnuts which sounds weird but tastes great. Plus I didn't feel like I was gagging on mayo salad with tuna chunks, which is what happens a lot with tuna sandwiches. This was all $7.50 which I think is a good deal for how much food you get. You can also get soup instead of salad, which I'm gonna do now that summer finally peaced out of NYC.

Not pictured: the multiple slices of greasy, over loaded with meat toppings pizza I ate even though I was not even hungry. Having cheap pizza all around me is a curse. I learned that in Rome and now I am learning it again.

brunch

2011-09-11T16:25:00.001-07:00

I met KJ for brunch at this place called Maggie Brown in Clinton Hill and it was so great. I sort of regretted my brunch choice when I saw this guy eating a hamburger with a fried egg on top, especially when the egg started getting really drippy. If he had a beard and the egg got into it, I would have been grossed out. But it fell very gracefully onto the plate and I'm pretty sure he mopped it up with his burger. What a great meal.

Breakfast burrito with eggs, cheddar, chipotle mayo and salsa. Plus a salad and homefries.

This was mine-- corned beef hash with 2 fried eggs + chives (which really didn't do anything except make it look nice) and a homemade biscuit. I wish there had been more biscuits so I had a reason to eat all of that butter. It was so flaky and sweet and perfect. The corned beef has was also really excellent, not super oily or salty or too soft. The whites of the eggs were a little less cooked than I would have liked, but once it's spilling everywhere and mixed with the rest of the food, who cares.

I'm glad I got off my lazy ass and walked here because then I realized that even though there is nothing around me within a 7 block radius, everything good is only a 15 minute walk away. I think I got so used to having everything I need around the corner in my old neighborhood that I forgot what it was like to live in Providence and have to walk everywhere for everything. Using my legs...what a great idea.

2011-09-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

I spent way too much time indoors this past week...unemployment and rain are real good reasons to never shower or change my clothes. Gross. But now I have things to do again, including eating all the food I compulsively bought at the grocery store (4 trips in 3 days, BORED).

From Nick's Burger Joint with Joey. I imagine this is what RISD cafeteria food would look like if it was served in a diner, which I guess is just a few steps up. Egg salad BLT...so many of my meals were used up on these sandwiches at the Met. This one was good, nothing special, but also this sort of sandwich is not really a special thing anyway. I wish it wasn't cut into fourths...it was too hard to eat my left overs on the train ride home.

This omelete looks huge but it was really only 1 egg. With sausage, tomatoes, onions, avocados, and little bit of goat cheese hiding in there.

Lots going on in this salad bowl. It's like Cobb salad, who are you kidding when you order it and say, "Oh well, I'll get fries too since I'm eating a salad." But I really wanted vegetables and proscuitto and eggs so I just put it all in a bowl. It worked out fine for me!

new food, new home

2011-09-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

I moved into my new apartment this past Thursday and it was the longest day of my life, holy cow. The movers were 9 hours late and I spent a lot of that time alternating between fake crying and yelling on the phone with the most miserable people ever. Customer service was not my friend this week.

I went on a (grocery) shopping spree to help me get over the nightmare that was moving day. I bought this salmon which has dijon mustard on it from Trader Joe's, but it was a little bit bland. I think I'll do something to it when I eat the other piece.

SoCal dog plus fried pickles from this hot dog place in Clinton Hill...I forget what it's called. This hot dog was alright, it was good, but not memorable and the toppings didn't really make it stand out like they probably wanted it to. But there were also some other hot dog options that looked better and probably would have tasted great, judging by what the other people were ordering. If I go back, I'm going to get the deep fried, bacon wrapped hot dog with gorgonzola. The fried pickles were good, but the batter didn't stick to all of them. I don't think I've ever had the perfect fried pickle though.

Lobster roll from Lobster Join in Greenpoint. This place is open til 2 AM! Probably because you can count on lots of drunk people to eat $18 lobster rolls. They are super generous with their lobster portions. It's so soft and sweet and just melts in your mouth. It's also not heavy on the mayo and the buns are perfectly toasty and buttery. The fries and coleslaw are whatever, but who cares. Too bad I don't know what's up with taking good pictures or else you could really see how good this lobster roll looks instead of overly fried fries.

Sushi art by David, not the actual rolls though. Or maybe it is. He can make pie too, you know.

costco mania

2011-08-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Since I'm moving into a new apartment with no furniture or anything, I have been hunting for good deals and obviously Costco is where the fun is. So my parents took my mom's name off their Costco card and put mine on it. Since then I have seriously abused my Costco card privileges. My mom says she wants to take my name off of it now that I have the things I need, but I think she just misses it. I NEED IT MORE THAN SHE DOES. In two days, I have visited all 3 Costcos in the New York City area. I've always known that Costco is the best but it didn't really hit me because since I've never gone there to shop for myself. Now I know, and it is dangerous territory. My mom keeps trying to give me this advice about how shopping at Costco can actually end up being more expensive because she knows I will buy everything and I only have to feed myself. But I am in complete control.

Neal and I went to the Brooklyn Costco and wasted away nearly two hours freaking out. If we had only a little bit less self control, we would have walked out of there with a digital camera, a jumbo back of peanut m&ms, wasabi doritos, lobster tails, ribs, and cocktail shrimp. And a box of Bagel Bites. We only ended up with bagels, the ingredients to make our dinner and a set of frying pans. Except neither of us had bags or one of those crazy lady carts, so it was a little bit of a work out (for Neal) to get those things on the train and back home. I have to invest in a cart.

So we got steak, obviously. This is not a hot picture, and it looks sort of gray, but I promise you it was super delicious. I cooked it the way Erik told me to, with a lil bit of sea salt and pepper rubbed into it, cooked in butter til its brown on both sides, then put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Holy cow (HAHA), so juicy and meaty. I also made those mushrooms in the steak butter juice with garlic and wine. Also excellent. Same goes for the mashed potatoes. And we also made some salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and pears.

There was also a big piece of wild salmon that this guy I work for gave to me. I would have cooked it another day but I immediately hopped on a train after work to go to Costco because I only thought we would have 15 minutes to shop. Turns out we had a lot more time and so the fish sort of sat out for a bit. I found a pack of frozen shrimp to keep it cool while we shopped. We cooked that with just salt pepper and lemon, and it was very flaky and tasty.

Then vanilla ice cream with warm peaches and walnuts (thx Rachel)

GRILL

2011-08-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Melissa's sister had a BBQ at their dad's really great apartment but it was good mostly for the grill...There was so much food, I almost didn't eat lunch today, but who am I kidding? I had breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. We went to this grocery store called Fairway and I didn't get to spend enough time freaking out there. It's big and beautiful and has so many food options. I'm going to get one of those wire old lady carts so I can go shopping on the Upper West Side. I also got a Costco card!! Actually my dad just put my name on his card and took my mom's name off... industrial sized packs of bacon HERE I COME!!!!

Baguette, olives, and this dip that is super simple and deadly if you're lactose intolerant like me. It's ricotta cheese, a little milk, olive oil, salt, and pepper...and maybe some lemon juice? It is so so good. I couldn't stop eating it. **Not pictured: cheese with caramelized onions in it, prosciutto, salami, and...spicy salami. Maybe it has a fancier name?

Most of the food. I had to keep taking new pictures because new food kept coming in off the grill. Starting from the top right corner and zigzagging down: sweet potato salad, grilled zucchini, grilled bell peppers, sausage, corn, bahn mi tasting coleslaw, grilled onion, chicken, radicchio in a balsamic dressing. **Not pictured: fat, juicy grilled tomatoes.

Close up of the potato salad because it was my favorite! It has beans in it and I'm not sure what else, to be honest. It's not super thick like regular, mayo-eggy potato salad, but the potatoes are creamy enough themselves, and it also doesn't feel like you just ate a packet of mayonnaise and eggs.

A little bit of everything. Building a plate at a BBQ or a picnic is like making a burrito. It always seems like there's not enough of anything but somehow you end up with more food than you can eat. I could have eaten more if I hadn't eaten half a loaf of bread. There was also grilled peaches and ice cream for dessert. UGH

I like this picture. It sort of reminds me of scanwiches, clean and organized. I was talking to Erik and Neal about the food pictures I like, and I think that regular old crappy pictures like from my iPhone or point and shoot are the best kind. I mean, I appreciate good food photography and all those fancy pictures on Tastespotting and nice food blogs and magazines, but a lot of the time they are too perfect. It's always the perfect, sunny day with the happy friends and children, pistachios scattered nicely around the home-churned ice cream, beautiful mise en place shots (do people REALLY cook like this? Unless you're, like, Giada or Ina Garten, who is such a wet blanket), but let's get real. When I cook, the sink always has dishes and the stove is maybe a little spattered with oil, and I use 99 cent paper towels instead of freshly scented soft towels, but I still think my food looks good and tastes good. When I look at food pictures, I want to feel like I could eat what I'm looking at. If you only look at digital SLR photos of grilled watermellon on a clean, new grill, when you actually make it on your own grill, sort of crusted with burned marshmallow bits, it's not going to seem as good! Or it's like looking at shoes you can't buy on the internet. That's why I like this guy's posts. They're not great pictures and they're not even of food that particularly great either, but I always get the hungriest when I look at them because I feel like it's something I could eat right away. I also like this guy's posts because the food is not set up or constructed, but they still look real and beautiful because he has a nice camera.

food from this week

2011-08-12T23:19:00.000-07:00

Tuna sandwich + avocado, tomato, and lettuce from Cafe Prague...this sandwich was ok. I like the idea of putting avocado on everything but the tuna is already so soft, so it doesn't really do anything for me, texture wise. I made my own version of this sandwich, except my tuna didnt have celery but had pickles instead. I also put mozarella cheese on it and toasted my bread and left out the tomatoes so it wouldn't get soggy. I think my sandwich tasted better.

Tried Papaya Dog for the first time...what's the big deal? It's not a great hot dog, just some cheap-o dog that everyone gives 4 stars on Yelp. It was a satisfying $1.50 hotdog though...sauerkraut and ketchup.

My friend Matt made some great fish tacos tonight. Yeah, updating this less than 24 hours after it happened...welcome to the rest of my Friday night!! This was too good, and now this is what I want to eat for the rest of the week while I try to mostly not eat gluten or dairy...but yeah right. But I even bought most of the ingredients at like 130 am as soon as I got of the train. It was that urgent.

Tilapia, a vegetable medley (maybe it has a real name) of avocado, peppers, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, and this aioli made with quail eggs on a blue corn tortilla

breakfast

2011-08-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't really had breakfast since I moved away from Providence, probably because I don't live above 3 different breakfast places and my apartment doesn't always smell like bacon. So I guess this is my first breakfast in New York, except it was at 3 in the morning but that still counts.

Challah french toast and corn beef hash from Vesleka. Is this place actually good? I mean, I thought it was so tasty and it was really crowded, so the answer is probably yes, but I couldn't tell if it was just me being me. I almost got 2 eggs, potato pancakes, and corn beef has because I always pick savory over sweet, but then I usually regret it when I'm feeling bloated from the sodium overload. So it was a good thing I got the french toast, though I don't think that stopped me from feeling too full. These ladies at the table next to us were sharing a salad while I was ordering, and I was being such a self-righteous jerk about it because who goes out to eat at 3 am and gets a side salad? Then their order actually came and it was mac and cheese, perogis, and something else really large and greasy. And I was so jealous. MY BAD LADIES

BLT

2011-08-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

There's this place in the Flatiron District on 22nd & 5th called Eissenberg's, and I always thought it was just some run of the mill sandwich shop, but then I forgot lunch and googled "best sandwiches flatiron" and it came up. They also have breakfast and hot plates. Today's special was meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but I didn't get it. I regret it. So I decided to try a sandwich, and I guess a BLT isn't complicated but it's easy to get it wrong...soggy bacon, soggy bread, no lettuce, NOT ENOUGH BACON. This is a problem more than it should be. You can't make a BLT then only put in 3 paper thin pieces of bacon.

This BLT great, except the bread was a little too toasty and it scratched up the roof of my mouth. Wah wah wah. But there was a lot of crispy bacon and just enough mayo, plus the perfect amount crunchy lettuce and super juicy tomatoes to prevent my body from feeling like I was overloaded with sodium. I don't think the ingredients are anything special, but who am I kidding, I don't get fancy at the grocery store either. The sandwich looks like a regular size sandwich and I thought $6.50 was too much to pay for it, but judging by how full I felt after, it was totally worth it. Next week I'm going to get the meatloaf sandwich.

Did this blog entry sound professional? I applied for this job on Craigslist to be a food blogger/recipe tester...I almost cried because that would be my dream job. Then I read all these other food blogs and they involve so many adjectives and proper grammar and this nice tone of writing that really makes you feel like the blogger cares about you. I don't care about you (j/k I do) I just want you to be jealous of the food I eat.

2011-07-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

David's Texan momma sent him an obscene amount of brisket. He and Neal got tired of it so we decided to make the brisket into chilli! So this is what it is...brisket chili with black and kidney beans, corn, onions, cheddar, sour cream and avocados on top. Plus corn bread