Crabtastic

You know those shirts that say: "My dad [or another family member] went to [state or city] and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"? Well if I could make one for the city of Ocean City, Maryland, it would say: "I went to Maryland and all I got was CRABS!" Now don't let your minds wander too far from this statement, when I say crabs, I mean the real thing. The orange crustaceans that live on beaches or oceans with a single pair of sharp claws. Now usually, people tend to stay away from restaurants that are advertising "All You Can Eat", myself included, but last night, however, I made an exception. It was our last night on the "island" of Ocean City, MD and we wanted to soak up the last bits of Maryland, which meant for dinner it was, "All You Can Eat Crabs". I've never had a real crab before, but I love imitation crab meat. Tonight, though, I was determined to try the real thing. The restaurant we chose was on the beach, eating dinner with my feet squished in the sand was the ultimate experience, old-bay sanded crabs and sandy feet. A large platter of cooked crabs appeared at our table in about 15 minutes, the hard blue shell crabs had been steamed to a dark red and sprinkled in the zesty spice of Old-Bay seasoning. I turned the crab over so its belly was facing me and smashed the center with a wooden mallet, I took the top shell of the crab off, as the shells pinched my hands, and uncovered the tender, juicy, meaty insides. I threw the non-eatable pieces into a large bucket and moved onto the meat in the legs of the crab, which broke apart with another smash from the wooden mallet. The salty spice from the Old-Bay mixed with the savory flavors of the crab. The crab legs were smooth and sweet. The meat was moist and delicate, loaded with flavor, colored a glistening white. Although I took breaks in between my crab consumption, I had to stop after I had devoured 6 and a half crabs - I felt happily full and satisfied. It's safe to say, I clawed my way through Ocean City, Maryland.

Israel vs. America: Food Edition

On a normal day in America, most people eat lunch around noon or soon after that. On a normal day in Israel, most people eat lunch around 1 pm or so. Why the comparison? Well that's because my American life has been put on hold for the past week and a continuation into next week and I have taken up the Israeli lifestyle - living and volunteering in the small community of Netivot, Israel. After a long, hot, tiring but rewarding day of volunteering to build a community garden yesterday, I was excited for our day plan today, a tour of Netivot...and equally as excited for the air conditioned bus. From 9 am-1 pm we toured the city, seeing the religious and cultural landmarks. Israel's preservation of its history is unlike anything in America - learning about the places and then being able to physically go and see them is what is most special. After a long morning, lunch time was here - it was off to the "Sim Center", the central shopping mall in Netivot. A couple friends and I choose to eat at Cafe Greg, a small, coffee shop which also catered to our lunch needs. We started with a couple appetizers - small tiny twist pretzels and cut up vegetables sprinkled with salt and pepper. The carrots, cucumbers and red peppers, filled a white dish with color and crunch, and the sweet tomatoes burst in my mouth. For my meal, I chose a Black Lentil and Bulgar Wheat salad. In about 10 minutes, out comes a large, clear hollow bowl-plate filled to the top with food; a base layer of Lentils and Bulgar Wheat as well as all the mix-ins. Chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, chunks of sesame seed sweet potato, dried cranberries, drizzled in a dressing of lemon zest, olive oil and date honey - with shavings of mozzarella cheese on top. My eyes could hardly contain my mouth, I could not wait for the first bite, which was unreal. The crisp vegetables were crunchy and fresh, the cranberries tangy, the sweet potatoes were soft and melted in my mouth and the honey from the dressing added just a touch of sweetness to the salad. The salad got better bite after bite, the cheese helped to balance out all the ingredients by adding a bit of creaminess to it. I left the cafe feeling content, the perfect amount of full-ness and a container filled with leftovers. The wait for lunch was definitely worth it - delicious
flavors and good company. Plus, an incredible surrounding city of Netivot, where even though I am American, I instantly feel at home. 

Faux Dough

Everyone always has an opinion about the best type of pizza: Ray's famous pizza New York style, sicilian, thin crust, crust with cheese, the list can go on and on. But before you start drooling as you picture a sizzling hot slice of pizza with the gooey cheese dripping off the sides and a crispy crust that breaks apart in your hands, let me stop you there...I like alternative versions of pizza, i.e. pizza without the typical crust. And tonight for dinner was no exception...I was going to make cauliflower crusted pizza. I could hardly contain my excitement when I arrived home after a long, hot and sticky day in the city of Philadelphia. I started the process by splitting a head of cauliflower in half and cutting out the stems, only keeping the florets (flower shaped pieces) from the top and placing them in a large bowl. After microwaving the florets for about 8 minutes, I took them out to cool and began whisking an egg in a separate small bowl. As the cauliflower was cooling, I added the egg into the bowl, a quarter teaspoon of crushed garlic and half a cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese. Once the ingredients were stirred together, I poured the crust mixture into a pan and let it bake in the oven for 15 minutes. The timer beeped in impecable time, the 15 minutes flew by and it was time for the toppings - a layer of tomato paste mixed with basil, three handfuls of sprinkled cheese, thin slices of a juicy red tomato, some chopped scallions and pieces of spinach. The pie went back in the oven for 6 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and the toppings to cook. It was hard to wait the short amount of 6 minutes, the aroma of the bubbling cheese and pungent garlic wafted through the house. When the timer went off, I raced into the kitchen and pulled the pizza out of the oven and could hardly contain my eyes and tastebuds, the cheese had melted into a white stringy bed as it peaked out through the luscious red color of the tomato, the bright kelly green scallions and the dark forest green spinach. Instead of a hard and heavy taste of breaded crust, the cauliflower was light and fluffy, the garlic flavor seeped through the vegetable toppings, the tomatos were soft, the scallions added a bit of a crunch. I had one slice, then another and then picked the toppings off the cheese, I could not stop myself, it was really good. In my opinion, it is safe to say this was the best type of pizza I have ever had. You can eat the pizza with anything, but mine went well with a glass of Rosé, bottoms up!

Thai This

There are certain types of ethnic foods that I believe should be eaten sporadically: Chinese, Japanese, Indian, just to name a few. However, there is one exception: Thai food! When you ask me what my favorite type of ethnic food is, I will 9 times out of 10 say: Thai. Tonight I invited a friend over for dinner and you will never believe what we decided to make...THAI FOOD (surprise)! After searching long and hard for a Pad Thai recipe, I stumbled upon an easy vegetarian Pad Thai dish and we got straight to work...well, the abbreviated version (with ingredients we had in the house). First, I boiled a heaping amount of white bean thread noodles, that turned to a translucent clear after they were cooked. Then, we got to work on the sauce. If you are an avid Thai eater like me, you know that Thai food has flavor and flair, with a robust spiciness. We took a 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 scoops of chunky peanut butter, two halves of one freshly squeezed lemon (the recipe called for lime), 4 individual packets of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of Siracha (a red tangy hot sauce). We whisked the mixture together and began to sauté half of a chopped white onion in the wok, carefully adding half a block of white spongey tofu. We cooked the ingredients down and added the bean thread noodles and peanut butter and soy sauce mixture with a small forkful of garlic and some chopped scallions for more flavor. I picked up my chopsticks (feeling in an authentic mood) and took my first bite, which was filled with a spicy kick from the Siracha and a creaminess from the peanut butter. The soft bites of tofu were light and fluffy. The flavors paired perfectly - both salty and sweet. I finished my first plate and went back for seconds, excited for the leftovers that will be waiting for me at lunch tomorrow. It was thai-tally delicious.

The Dairy Dream

On a recent trip to the supermarket I bought some beautiful ripe red strawberries. I wanted to make something cold, sweet, creamy, fresh and fruity and came up with a great combination for a light dessert or snack. I washed, hulled and halved some juicy strawberries. Then I opened a container of plain greek style yogurt and drizzled in some honey for sweetness. Next, I took a knife and spread the yogurt on top of the strawberries like icing until it covered the entire half. Then for a crunch, I sprinkled miniature chopped walnuts on top of the layer of yogurt. I placed the sliced yogurt covered strawberries into a container with a lid and put them in the freezer for about four hours. After returning home from a long walk, later in the day, I was hot and wanted something to cool me off. I pulled out the container to find the strawberries frozen solid. I plopped a frozen strawberry half into my mouth. The yogurt melted to a creamy liquid and a crunch from the nuts, the taste was soothing. The snack was a dairy dream, filled with delicious flavor.

MexiKosher

Salsa and guac for breakfast? Only with a side of pita chips. This morning I was doing a cooking demonstration with homemade salsa, guacamole and pita chips. To start, I gathered all the ingredients - 5 on-the-vine tomatoes, 1 sweet onion, 2 avocados, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 2 limes, salt, pepper, onion powder, and a handful of Cilantro.
I took a large blue cutting board and a serrated knife and got to work on the salsa. I sliced and seeded the tomatoes before cutting them into smaller pieces and placing them on a paper plate. I peeled the skin off the onion and chopped it up into tiny chunks. I took the dark green jalapeño, sliced it in half, seeded it, combined all the pieces together and carefully slid my knife back and forth through the chops of pepper. Once all the ingredients were cut, I combined them in a medium-sized glass bowl, sprinkled on some salt, squeezed on some lime juice and freshly chopped Cilantro as a garnish. I spooned together all the ingredients as the bowl sparkled from the bright colors of the vegetables. The fresh scents permeated the kitchen.
Next came the guacamole - I began with mashing the avocado together with a spoon, making it into a thick consistency. I added a splash of salt for flavor, fresh lime juice and again, freshly chopped Cilantro to add an authentic tangy Mexican flavor.
After a half hour of fresh ingredients preparation, it was time for the pita chips. I pulled the pita apart into halves and then cut them into triangle shaped chips. I placed the chips in a tin-foil dish and sprinkled on the flavors - garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. I placed the tin in the oven on 400 degrees for about 12 minutes and waited for them to turn crispy.
And FINALLY, it was time to eat! There were four other women there for the demonstration and we were all anxious for the taste test. The crunch of the pita chip was an ideal combination with the creamy guacamole. And the salsa was a whole other story - the flavors were a blend of perfection. The pungent taste of the onion, the sweetness of the tomato, and the acidity of the lime mixed with the jalapeño, which added a kick of flavor, leaving a fiery sensation in our mouths.
A savory, flavory breakfast replacement with a Kosher twist.

Bowl-ing The Perfect Game

It was 50 degrees and sunny in downtown Boulder, Co and my friend and I were in need of a "rush". What type of rush, you may ask? A rush bowl. "Rush bowls" is the name, a bowl of blended fruit and granola is its game. Located "On the Hill" of University of Colorado Boulder's campus - where I am for the weekend visiting a friend at school. We walked into a little shop with sea blue colored walls and one large menu that covered the nature back walk of the store. My friend and I decided on a "yoga" bowl, blended mango, pineapple, banana, green tea, frozen yogurt and skim milk. Each bowl is freshly prepared and unique in its ingredients. The fruit mixed with the green tea colored the bowl a mint green that layered the bottom of the bowl, with a covering of homemade granola and a drizzle of honey. I dunked my spoon into the bowl of swirly goodness. The first bet was crunchy, creamy, delicious and nutritious. A wholesome bunch of ingredients, with a mellow, mild taste. Each bite of granola was covered in the sweetness of the honey, with the tropical flavor of the fruit. It was a yog-tastic bowl of healthy indulgence, leaving my sweet tooth satisfied and happy.