Food Jewelry!

How cute is this?! This reminds me of what Paula Deen once said, "I'm sweating like a fat girl reading her first love letter!"

7-Eleven offers VEGAN food?!

I would have never thought 7-Eleven would jump on the Vegan/Vegetarian band wagon, but apparently it was in demand in the NY and Philly locations.

$6 can get you Artichoke Spinach Noodles, Dumplings, or Lo Mein Noodles--now this is something I might have to check out.

Where's the nearest 7-Eleven?!

Source: NY Daily News

Healthy Granola Cookies!

It batter actually started out as Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and then I decided to make a compost-like cookie inspired by Momofuku's Compost Cookie which contains pretzels and potato chips and a lot of other crazy ingredients you would have ever thought would taste good in a cookie, but does! Anyway, my version was more of a healthy version that contained lots of fiber and protein. Some of the ingredients were rolled oats, raisins, chocolate chips, chex cereal, almond milk, raw almonds, pine nuts, chunky peanut butter, flax meal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and I actually used Smart Balance in place of butter so they would be low fat as well.

Overall, the finished product was quite tasty and my housemate named it "The Breakfast Cookie" because it was almost like a soft and chewy granola bar, but in cookie form.

Momo Sushi Shack (Restaurant Review)

Momo Sushi Shack opened up in East Williamsburg/Buswick area just off the Morgan Stop on the L Train. The rave is all the different flavored soy sauces that your sushi comes with! The not so great is the service and lack of wasabi for those wasabi loving sushi-connoisseurs. The veggie sushi options are tasty and quite pretty to look at. Service is slow and wait time is just as bad. Is it worth it for the trip? Sure, if you're in the neighborhood, but don't go out of your way...

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread

Mmmm, just finished baking Whole Wheat Oatmeal Banana Walnut Bread! My breads tend to not be as sweet since I normally cut out some of the sugar and try to maintain the integrity of the banana's sweetness. Some people like the banana breads sweeter so I also made a Maple Cinnamon Glaze as an "optional" topping. You can also cut out the butter or oil fat by using applesauce instead of butter and add flax seed or ground flax seed meal to the batter for extra fiber. If anyone is allergic to nuts, just omit the nuts or add chocolate chips or raisins for that extra bite.

- 1/2 cup butter (you can substitute applesauce here)
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1 large egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
-1 tablespoon flax seed
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-(2 large or 3 small) mashed bananas
- 1/4 cup milk or plain yogurt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts

Bake in a 9x3 bread pan in a 350-degree oven for 50-55 minutes.

M Noodle Shop (Restaurant Review)

As you all may already know, I absolutely love noodles. I think it developed while I was living in Beijing in college where fresh hand-pulled noodles were readily available at almost every corner canteen. Ever since returning to the states, I've definitely been keeping an eye out to find the best noodle shop in town.

So of course when I spotted this wooden beamed noodle shop on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg, I was dying to go inside and order a big bowl of noodle soup. However, I decided to wait because a steaming bowl of hot noodle soup isn't all that appetizing on a sweltering summer day. The fall weather has finally kicked in and I find sitting at the wooden counters of M Noodle Shop where I order the Turnip Stew Noodle Soup along with their delicious Sesame Pancake with Vegetables as an appetizer.

Overall, it was very good and filling. I think the only negative thing I could say was that the turnips were definitely a bit overcooked or maybe over-boiled. The turnip flavored vegetarian broth reminded me of my mother's version of Pork Turnip Noodle Stew that she made when I was a child. I was pleasantly surprised that the flavors of the broth were very much on par for being a vegetarian broth. My favorite part of the meal was the crunchy Sesame Pancake that had sweet pickled veggies tucked inside.

My friend ordered the Sauteed Ho Fun with Tomatoes and Tofu which was equally as tasty!

So definitely check out M Noodle Shop if you're ever in the neighborhood. Prices are cheap for Williamsburg, portions are big, service is quick and friendly, and the decor emulates traditional Chinese noodle shops in Beijing and Shanghai with all the beautiful wooden beams built into the infrastructure.

Kombucha (Part Deux)

Kombucha is slowly coming back onto the shelves of a few health food stores and it looks like a few of the locals are trying to take a stab at Synergy's market share of raw health drinks.

Kombucha Brooklyn has decided to take a hand at bottling their own kombucha elixir with a few flavors: Red Ginger, Urban Passion, Straight-Up, and their most newest shown below, Blue-Green Envy. I have to say that I was quite disappointed by the flavor and lack of that famous kombucha fizz and odor. It was flat, bland, and not at all comparable to Synergy. I say, don't waste your time or money and go for the real deal. I was trying to support local and organic, but due to lack of credibility in flavor, I think I'll have to go with the company that did it first and knows how to brew up my favorite fermented tea! Till next time, drink up!

Thai Inspired Dragon Noodles

Our new housemate moved in recently over the Halloween weekend so I decided to cook dinner to welcome her into our humble little abode. The menu? My all time favorite--NOODLES of course!

So I'm calling this noodle dish the "Thai Inspired Dragon Noodles" because I made a spicy tamarind garlic peanut sauce to stir-fry the noodles in and added a ton of veggies. The most important veggie in this dish is the broccoli rabe which was chopped up to look like dragon scales. =)

The side dish consisted of roasted caramelized brussel sprouts with celery and onion. I served the meal with a Rose wine from Provence to help balance the spice in the tamarind sauce, but I think Riesling or a Savignon Blanc would have worked just as fine.

Cheers to new beginnings and good food!

Happy Halloween!

So it's Halloween and I decided to do a little research online for some Halloween treats and came across a really cool cake blog called "The Cake Mistress."

Check out this creative and festive way to bake and serve cake: Halloween Eyeballs -- Red Velvet Cake Balls with Creamcheese Frosting and White Chocolate

Yum right?!

Is A Vegetarian Diet Actually Cheaper?

So a girlfriend of mine and I were recently discussing our finances and budgeting as young twenty something year olds living in a bustling cities and only about 200 miles apart. She in Boston and I in NYC where dining out, coffee, and taxi fares tend to be our ailments of poor budgeting. We both work long hours, but do our best to stay active and maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. We both try to eat more greens and whole foods as opposed to overly processed and fried foods. She is a meat-eater and I a vegetarian so when she came across this article, she e-mailed it to me with a message saying that she may reconsider being a vegetarian... =)

Anyway, check out this article that illustrates a cost analysis comparing eating habits of a meat-eater, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan: "Is A Vegetarian Diet Actually Cheaper?"

Panda Birthday Cakes!

It was little brother's birthday last week and my family back home in California threw him a big party this past weekend. Check out this cute panda cake my sister made and decorated!

$1 Pizza Truck?!

So I was in Union Square the other night and saw this random $1 Pizza Truck and totally did a double take. At first I thought it was a total joke, but people were lining up to get their $1 slice of pizza. I asked customers if the pizza was any good and they said it tasted like another other type of pizza you get at a random no-name pizzeria here in NYC. Check it out:

NYC Food and Wine Festival (Food Network)

Well it's that time of year again! Yes, the Food Network's famous Food and Wine Festival here in NYC. Special guests include a couple of my favorites, Giada De Laurentiis, and the super food nerd, Alton Brown! Check out the website for more TV Personalities and special events: Food & Wine 2010! There will be lots of wine tasting and eating going down this week so don't miss out on the fun!

Chinatown Brasserie (Restaurant Review)

NYC is filled with many mainstream and trendy Asian inspired restaurants owned by American Entrepreneurs who have taken Chinese Take-Out to the next level. I recently had the pleasure of dining at Chinatown Brasserie with co-workers for a celebratory toast to a successful end of Fashion Week.

So was it all that it was hyped up to be? Quite frankly, not really. Yes, it's a cool and dimlit restaurant that gives off the ambiance of swanky east meets west cigar/speakeasy type lounge. The architects and interior designers did a wonderful job decking out the place. The food and the service, well that's a different story. I've had better in the hole in the wall shop down in NYC's Chinatown. If you know where to go, you'll get the best $1 dumplings as opposed to paying $12 for only 6 dumplings. The food is a total rip for what it is. I hate to say it, but I think I can prepare better noodles than the greasy stuff that I ate for dinner...

I must say though, the food does come out piping hot! I took a photo of my little Vegetable Moo Shu just before I scarfed it down! It was definitely a bit oily as you can tell from the photo. The veggies were crunchy and the sauce in the noodles were tasty. Was it out of this world? No. It simply tasted like normal Moo Shu I could have ordered from the Chinese Take-Out around the corner from my apartment in Brooklyn. They were a little more successfule with their cocktail and drink menu. Very creative and new ways of mixing Chinese flavors such as Ginger and Orange Zest, which you will find in a lot of the fancier Chinese cuisines. I ordered a Kiwi Gimlet that contained gin, kiwi puree, lemon, and some lime. Not too sweet, but just enough tang. The only issue here was the tiny little kiwi seeds kept getting stuck in my teeth!

Overall, the food was mediocre and the service was slow (and it wasn't even that busy). I say don't waste your money if you want good authentic Chinese food. This is just another trendy Americanized Chinese Eatery where you're paying more for the ambiance than the quality of food. I can give you a whole list of restaurants and small shops down in Chinatown where you can find the same food at half the price or less and I gurantee you, the authenticity of flavors will satisfy your hungry tastebuds! Until next time, happy eating!

"Potluck by Deathrow!"

I recently attended a themed potluck summer housewarming party and the theme was "Potluck by Deathrow!" The goal was to cook or bring (for those who don't cook) the last meal or dish you would want to have if you were on deathrow. You also had to be creative and come up with a good reason why you were on deathrow.

So my meal of choice was Spicy Chinese Veggie Noodle Stir Fry because I love noodles and spicy food! This dish is actually a rendition of my father's old Chow Mein recipe. If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll carefully take the time to type it up. Just as a warning though, it's kind of a tedious recipe as there are a lot of ingredients and chopping involved! Anyway, the reason I was on deathrow was that I tried to rob a bank in order to save my family from being blackmailed and in lieu of it all, I shot the bank teller AND the security guard---I was on deathrow for MANSLAUGHTER! =D Very creative right? Don't worry, I would never in a million years try to rob a bank. I wouldn't know where to start and I don't think watching Ocean's Eleven/Twelve would help either!

With that said, here is a photo of my noodle dish--HOT from the frying pan! I used Sriracha to spice it up, but you can totally omit the spice if you dislike spicy food.

All the baked goodies for dessert--none of which I contributed to, but everything was delicious. We have homemade Baklava, made by a true GREEK girl using her mother's recipe--very impressive because you have to work very quickly so the philodough doesn't dry up! Of course there was red velvet cake (store bought...cheater!), peanut butter cookies, vanilla cupcakes, mini cupcake sized cheesecake tarts, and smashing pumpkin cookies! I didn't get a chance to take photos of the real food because everyone started digging in and well it didn't look that pretty so you'll just have to be creative and imagine what our last meal would have looked like!

So enjoy what's left of the great weather because Summer is officially over! Cheers and happy eating!

Egg (Restaurant Review)

So I recently decided it was time for me to go running again after months of physical therapy and being dormant from the humid summer in NYC. My friend I did a quick 5M run over the Williamsburg Bridge--straight out and back, pretty easy and relaxing despite that a**hole cyclist that yelled at us! Of course we got hungry after and had planned on brunching over at Egg on North 5th Street and Bedford over in Williamsburg as our reward!

So what was brunch at Egg like and are the Yelp/Google reviews really true?

For the most part, yes! The food is really good, the coffee strong, and the wait...well, kind of long so be patient and hopefully you're not stark raving hungry as you wait to be seated. It's a small restaurant, with blank white walls and minimal seating. My favorite part of the simple decorum were the little candle-like jars filled with crayons so you can color on the white paper tablecloth as you wait for your food to arrive! Obviously lots of hipsters frequent this hot spot because of the location, but don't let that fool you because there are quite a few Manhattanites that come in from the city to have a taste for themselves.

We started out with the Brioche French Toast, which was very delish--I have a thing for French Toast, but never can finish an order myself, so we decided to order it as an appetizer to share! What a great decision that was! I also ordered the Eggs Rothco which came with a side of broiled tomatoes and veggies or bacon/sausage for you meat eaters. My friend ordered the Grafton Cheddar Omelet w/ Broiled Tomatoes, which was just as tasty. I've never had broiled tomatoes as a side and was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful they tasted. So if you're in the area, you should definitely check it out!

The Revolutionary Rice Scooper!

Okay so for those who grew up with a rice cooker or know what a rice cooker is might appreciate this new rice scoop now available at the MoMa Store! =)

http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Standing%20Rice%20Scoop%20%20_10451_10001_69172_-1_11628_11628_null__

Eataly is now OPEN for business!!

So the highly anticipated EATALY finally opened up this week and I happened to be in the area and spent a good chunk of my afternoon browsing the 50,000 square food marketplace! It was definitely quite spectacular with several stations specializing in Italy's finest--a cheese station dedicated to good ol' aged cheese, a pasta station to carb your hearts desire, a dessert station to give you enough cavities for a lifetime, a coffee station filled with expresso beans so aromatic that the smell and flavor cling to your clothes as your walk pass, and the list goes on and on! There were meats, seafoods, pizzas, breads, dry pastas, jams, and even fresh produce. I can't even begin to name everything I saw and smelled. Not related to food was a cute little market place filled with Italian Housewares--who knew that the Italians were competing against the Swiss to have classy and modern housewares? (IKEA watch out!)

I was definitely impressed and quite overwhelmed by the crowd and the assortment of Italian food and delicacies available. Mr. Mario Batali and Mr. Joe Bastianich are the co-conspiring geniuses behind this Italian food mega mart. I think Eataly takes on a whole new meaning to the phrase "mega mart" especially here in NYC. So how are Manhattanites and fellow Foodies handling this extravagant Italian eatery plus some? Well, looking at the huge crowds, it sure hasn't disappointed anyone yet. It's definitely a tourist attraction located right in the heart of the Flatiron district on 23rd Street and 24th Street just across the way from Madison Square Park where we have the famous Shake Shack. So if you're in the area and the burgers and fries in the park just isn't going to cut it or if you have a dire need to try out NYC's finest Italian Cuisine, I suggest you swing by to check out the assortment of menus over at Eataly. There is also an Eataly Wine Store with very knowledgeable sales associates, (or should I be calling them wine connoisseurs?), who can help you select a bottle for your next wine and cheese soirée! Their Seasonal Rooftop Beer Garden will be open in November--I can't wait to check this out!

Seriously, swing by for a self guided tour, and EAT up!

Cupcake Popsicles...?

Sprinkles located down in Florida just reinvented the cupcake called Cakeshooter. Check out this clever way of packaging and eating a cupcake (via popsicle vessel):



Isn't that amazing? Who would have thought to reinvent eating cupcake in the form of a popsicle? Clean up is easy and you don't get the sticky frosting all over your fingers!


They make Gluten-Free and Vegan versions as well! Here is their website if you ever want to order for a party: http://www.cakeshooters.com/index.php

Gourmet Mag is back...in the digital form!

So our beloved Gourmet magazine ceased publishing at Conde Nast in 2009--now the magazine conglomerate has decided to profit from their beautiful archives by creating an app to access the delicious recipes, colorful food photos, and videos dedicated to food and wine.

Conde Nast also sent out a recent press release stating that there will be 3 special edition to be published containing cookbook glossy photos, recipes, wine pairings and much more. The first edition to be published on September 7th!

Seriously, way to boost up your magazine sales and take a share out of the American Express' verison of Food and Wine. But, I can't wait to see all the great photos!

Check out the full article about Gourmet Live on WWD:
Memo Pad: Townsend Unveils Gourmet Live... Nudity Loves Company... - Fashion Memopad - WWD.com

Hamburger Cupcakes?!

Who would have thought that you can turn cupcakes into hamburgers, right?! Well my sister, Caitlin did! Check out these cute birthday cupcakes she baked up for the boys:

Vanilla cake as the buns, brownie as the meat, red fruit roll up for tomato, green fruit roll up for lettuce, and yellow frosting as mustard--so clever.

Left Over for Lunch!

Okay, yeah I know some people get totally weirded out with left over food, but I'm not! Last night's fancy cabbage salad became today's Fancy Cabbage Sandwich! Holler! Check it out:

Salad on toasted multi grain bread w/ a bit of hummus, cucumber slivers and little sprigs of cilantro! Now who said you can't be creative when you're brown baggin' your lunch?!

Fancy Smancy Cabbage Salad

I've never been a huge fan of coleslaw because the stuff I've experienced in the cafeteria lunch room during grade school freaked me out. I remember the lunch ladies would force me to eat that crap before I was allowed to go to the playground to play with my friends--disgusting!

Anyway, I was at a barbeque birthday bash the other weekend and a friend of mine made this very light summer coleslaw using the fresh produce she got from the local farmer's market. I was a little apprehensive about trying it at first, but decided it would be rude of me not to. I was really surprised by the lightness of the dressing or vinaigrette--it was both sweet and tangy and very light because there was less mayo and more vinegar in the dressing.

This got me thinking about this version of Chinese cabbage salad my mom use to make in the summer time with carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, lemon juice, a little sugar, and some salt. I loved having it the next day after the flavors marinated together overnight.

I went grocery shopping with these two recipes in mind and saw this lovely head of red savoy cabbage at the market. I put on my thinking cap and decided that I had to use use this red cabbage to make my own version of cabbage salad~!

By the way, if you want the exact recipe--I don't remember it because I eyeball everything and hardly measure when I cook. I know this is a terrible habit of mine, but I can't help it. This also happens when I bake so if I ever provide a baking recipe and it turns out to be an utter disaster for you, I'm going to have to apologize in advance! I hardly ever follow recipes to a T...

These are the overall ingredients and you can add or subtract whatever you do and don't like:

Red Cabbage & Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette Dressing

-Half a hed Red Savoy Cabbage

-1 1/2 Cups of Honey Toasted Walnuts (you can do this in the oven or stove top using raw walnuts)

-1 or 2 Carrots

-2 Celery Stalks

-1/4 White Onion (you can use red or yellow, whatever is in your kitchen)

-1 or 2 Pears (more like 1 1/2 because I think I ate the other half as I was chopping)

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

-about 1/2 cup pomegranate juice (reduced down on a low flame with a spoonful or two of sugar)

-about 2 tbl extra virgin olive oil

-about 2 tbl red wine vinegar

-1 or 2 tsp dijon mustard

-salt & pepper to taste

The results--YUMMY!

Kombucha/Synergy Recall...?!

So its been about a month or so since Whole Foods took Kombucha off their shelves...Booo to that! People are so stupid sometimes...Seriously, the stuff goes through a fermentation process so of course there is some alcohol in it!

Anyway, so what is this Kombucha stuff and why are people drinking this stinky drink that tastes like vinegar? Kombucha is a fermented tea that originated from China and was thought to have medicinal healing purposes. Kombucha contains antioxidants, amino acids, probiotics, and other active enzymes that helps restore and revitalize the body's balance.

You can actually make the stuff at home by fermenting tea using yeast and bacteria, but the fermentation process can take a couple weeks and that stuff would totally stink up your apartment. Needless to say, I think my flatmates would probably kill me if I tried growing a Kombucha culture in our tiny little kitchen!

I drink the stuff every now and then, but since the summer humidity took on full force, I've kind of been on a raw food kick so started my hunt to find some Kombucha. I thought it would be difficult to find since the recall, but alas there are a couple Brooklyn neighborhood bodegas that are still carrying this Raw Fermented Tea! Saranac and Associated both still carry the drink, but the price you pay for is a bit steep.

If you haven't tried it before, I say give it a try--it's very different from any drink you've had before and doesn't smell all that appetizing, but it definitely gives you a little pick-me-up after consumption. My favorites are Guava and Strawberry.

It's hot out there so stay hydrated! Till next time--Drink up and Buckle up!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Hello Readers!

I am so sorry I haven't posted any new entries...I went on vacation for a bit and have tons to share from my trip back home to California. I just got back to NY and my internet is down for the moment. I promise there will be new posts and photos coming very soon! Thanks for reading and keep on eating!

xoxo,
SandigurL

Healthy, but "Chocolatey" (A spin on Oatmeal Cookies)

So there are several June Birthdays going on this month and I was asked to bake something healthy, but with chocolate for our favorite French Head-Honcho at work. His chocolate addiction is as sinister as a smoker's desire to quit smoking...Relentless.


Anyway, I raked through my recipe books and did some research online and decided to go with a Strawberry Chocolate Vegan Cupcake Recipe. I changed up a few of the ingredients and substituted the vegetable shortening with apple sauce, etc. but I think this was probably the biggest disaster I've ever encountered in the baking kitchen! Lets just say, whole wheat flour and strawberries don't go very well together--ugh, thank goodness no one saw or tasted the mess! So back to the drawing board for more ideas...


I didn't have much time so I just decided to do something simple--cookies! Oatmeal Cookies are probably the healthiest by far, but I wanted to make them as "chocolatey" as possible and found this Irish Chocolate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe online (what a mouthful, right?!) It was perfect because we were planning on having a little Bagel Breafast Special for our boss who happens to love Irish Smoked Salmon Lox Spread! I made about 3 dozen cookies and my housemate commented that they looked like pieces of turd...
Again, I guess I have to work on my presentation skills a little bit more...I also packed some for another birthday event I had to attend the following evening and they were a huge success despite looking like poop!

Farmer's Market: Apples and Swiss Chard

Apple Season is sadly at an end as I shopped the local farmer's market here in Fort Greene recently. I was hoping to find a couple good golden delicious or gala apples to go with the fresh bright red swiss chard, but alas, I was unsucessful. I ended up having to go to a regular grocery store to pick up a couple because I had my heart set on making my Applie Swiss Chard Salad.

I cut up the apples in bite size chunks, toasted the pine nuts in a little olive oil, threw in some golden raisins soaked in water to help plump them up, and slow sauteed this over a low flame for about 5-7 minutes. I cleaned and de-stemmed the swiss chard and toss that in to sautee in the olive oil for about 8 minutes before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. This is a a naturally sweet salad with a nutty bite that does not require any salad dressing because all the natural flavors cook into the leaves and the water in the fruit releases to create a very light and sweet sauce. Take a look: