Iron Chef: Abroad

Greetings from halfway across the world. I know that all my devoted followers have missed my food blogging, so I am here with some happy news - here comes the first food blog post abroad in Israel! My living conditions are not amazing, therefore, it's been somewhat difficult to cook for myself. Although as many of you know, I LOVE to cook, so the challenging circumstances were just going to have to do. I figured that the easiest thing to make in small, tight, kitchenette quarters was of course, a stir-fry: otherwise known as my go-to meal, both home and abroad. With the help of a friend, we started to prepare: chopping green cabbage into thin strips, breaking apart the broccoli and cauliflower florets from their stems, slicing a small cube of tofu into little chunks and dicing/seeding a red juicy tomato. Tomato in a stir fry...say, what? Actually it was pretty delicious. We began by sautéing the broccoli and cauliflower, and then trying to be quick, I tossed in the strips of cabbage before I realized that the vegetables were overflowing...tight kitchen quarters: 1, chefs abroad: 0. Anyway, we let the florets steam and when they seemed to be cooked down, I added the cabbage, the pieces melted into the other vegetables we folded them over each other with the spatula. Tofu is one of my favorite sources of protein, and it's been hard to find it here - but with the hope that it would be good, we tossed it in. It was equally as delicious as the surprise tomato we threw into the stir-fry. The vegetables cooked down, the tofu was added, and some Teriyaki and Soy Sauce were drizzled over the mixture of ingredients, for flavor, along with some granulated Garlic powder. The tomatoes were the last addition, because they cook the quickest. Once all the separate parts were combined together, it was time to eat. The stir-fry was steaming hot (just the way I like it) and surprisingly, all the flavors were there. The tofu was firm, the vegetables were soft and delicate, cooked to perfection - with a touch of crunch from the cabbage. The tomato added a sweet flavor and the red color peaked out from the normal whites and greens. I would say the final product produced a win for chefs abroad, and especially because we came out with left-overs! I can't wait to prepare this meal again, with different additions as well as many others. Watch out TLVeats, I'm coming for ya...homecooked meals and all.

It's Cute to Eat Fruit

You know the saying, "eat your fruits and veggies", the one we were told at a young age, and for some are still told to today. Well lets think of how many of us actually did what we were told when we were younger... But what if you were told, "wear your fruits and veggies". In this case, lets skip the veggies but focus on the fruit. Have you ever wanted to wear your favorite fruit? I know I have, and now you can with the help of Fruitstrology! A newly launched community-based project turned business by two Temple University graduates. The girls behind the fruit believe in the power of sharing and doing good for the community of Philadelphia.
And here's how you can get involved. It starts with sharing 2 ways, (1) For every product sold, Fruitstrology donates a serving of fresh fruit to a child in Philadelphia, one for one. (2) What’s the strology behind Fruitstrology? Well, it’s what describes you. Each fruit has its own personality that expresses you. Whether you’re a Talkative Grape, Easygoing Banana or both, your purchase not only says you’re committed to supporting local childrens’ nutrition, it’s also a fun and creative way to say something about yourself. It’s simple, join, wear, share and make a difference. This is how we share the fruit we wear.
I think we can all relate to a specific fruit, I know I'm a "Charismatic Peach" and cannot wait to receive my tank in the mail! Check it out - www.fruitstrologyco.com and their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Fruitstrology. Stay fruity ya'll.

Om-loving it.

So it's been a while since I've been on the blog scene, but I'm back with a full fledged post that will be worth your while, because I know you've all been waiting for a new post by me. As my semester comes to a close at school, I am taking every advantage I have to go eat delicious food in the city of Philadelphia, which is just a subway ride away. Today, I ventured into the city around mid-morning and had the most amazing brunch ever. A friend and I decided on the Famous 4th Street Deli on S. 19th Street, a fairly new place, only about 4 years old, but the decor had an old world feel. We were seated and given appetizers of pickled cabbage salad with mini cucumbers and sliced carrots and spicy Dill pickles, needless to say, I was immediately in heaven. I ordered a veggie omelette with fruit on the side. 10 minutes later, our meals came out; little did I know that this omelette would be the full size of the entire plate with a small, fruit bowl on the side that looked minuscule compared to the enormous yellow, red, green and brown rectangular creation, that as I stared down at it, was staring up back at me. I took my smaller side plate, squeezed out some juicy red ketchup and golden brown mustard and cut my omelette in half. I dipped my first piece in the circle of condiments (I like to mix the ketchup and mustard because of the spicy sweet combination). The fluffy omelette melted in my mouth. The vegetables appeared bite by bite; the broccoli, white onions and green pepper provided me with a crunch that evened out the softer vegetables of tomatoes and mushrooms. For an extra hint of flavor, I sprinkled on some black pepper. I like my food with a kick. The fruit bowl on the side was a perfect taste of mellowness - the bursting red grapes and succulent cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew. Simply said, the taste and size of this meal was completely unreal.

The Quinoa Diaries

About a month ago I went to the grocery store and went straight to the "bulk foods" aisle, my favorite aisle. In the mood for something different, I picked up a plastic bag and filled it with yellow quinoa. I like quinoa a lot, but am always unsure of how to incorporate it into my meals, so I figured that this would be a good start...until I came home and put it on the top shelf of the pantry and never looked at it again until I moved into school where it ended up in my kitchen cabinet at school, waiting to be used. But, I have been craving it...just not really craving the idea of cooking it. Luckily for me, I didn't have to. Living so close to the city of Philadelphia, I jumped on the subway with a couple friends and we headed into Center City for dinner. We chose Steven Starr's Continental Mid-Town, a hip, funky restaurant on the corner of 18th and Chestnut in Rittenhouse Square. To my pleasant surprise, there was a Black Quinoa 'Tabbouleh' Salad that sounded delish. If you haven't already guessed, I ordered the salad. 15 minutes later, my salad came out in the shape of a round-layered volcano, I kid you not. The large salad was placed in front of me as my mouth watered and my eyes were amazed by the bright colors that peaked out the sides of the salad. The black quinoa made the white, green and red colors pop. I dug my fork into the massive round shape and uncovered the hidden ingredients - dark green leafy spinach, fresh mint, tiny crumbles of feta cheese and pieces of cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and halved olives. With an extra addition of creamy avocado to add in. The quiona was soft and mixed perfectly with the crunchy vegetables. The feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette dressing added a touch of sweetness to the salad, with the unique flavor of the avocado chunks that melted in my mouth. This meal was almost too good to be true, so I decided to save some of it for left-overs...which were deliciously eaten today. It is safe to say, my quinoa craving was definitely satisfied.

My Main Squeeze

As I was walking back from work to the train today, I found that I wanted a little pick-me-up. I toyed with the thought of getting something at the train (like a latte or a hot cup of tea) but decided against both of those boring choices, I was in the mood for something atypical from my usuals, a change of pace. Taking a different route back to Suburban station, I passed by "Animo: Juice and Burrito Bar" on the corner of 17th and Arch Street in Center City, Philadelphia. The fluorescent yellow tables outside and the buzz of people inside pulled me in. This place was hip and happening, a restaurant where your choices of food or drink are made to order. I began perusing the menu, which was a difficult task because everything sounded sooooooooo good. I narrowed it down to 3 juices, Glow (carrot, cantaloupe and orange), Spa Treatment (cucumber, apple, lemon & lime), or Ginger Snap (apple, ginger and lime). Ultimately, I decided on the Ginger Snap and anxiously awaited for my drink to be prepared. As I stood waiting on the side of the juice bar, my drink was brought out to me in a clear cup with a shimmering lime green color radiating through the plastic. I was blown away after my first sip, the freshness of the fruit was addicting. The tart acid of the lime juice blended with the tanginess of the green apple, both flavors freshly squeezed by hand into a juicer. As I continued to sip, the spice of the ginger appeared, mixing with the sugars from the fruit, providing a natural sweetness to my juice.

Vietnamese, Please!

As I was getting ready for work Tuesday morning, I asked my dad, "are we going to Vietnam tonight?" He laughed, clearly amused by my question and told me that we had a layover in China. So when I returned home later that day, I started to pack my bags...well, one bag, a purse actually that held just a phone and chapstick. Because if you didn't catch on already, we weren't actually going to Vietnam, just Vietnam Cafe on 47th and Baltimore in University City, Philadelphia. The restaurant was large with tables both inside and out, we were seated at a table partially inside with the other half outside, the weather was a perfect temperature of warm with a hint of a chilled breeze. We were starving when we got there and wasted no time on ordering. For my appetizer, I decided on "Goi Du Du Ga" aka the Papaya Salad. The bed of salad was made of strips of white Papaya fruit, thinly sliced shreds of bright orange carrots, pieces of white meat chicken, Vietnamese rau ram (like mint herbs) and crushed peanuts; dressed in a tangy vinaigrette of salt, sugar, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and flakes of crushed red pepper. The salad was bright with color and flavor, the freshness of the summer Papaya fruit with the spicy chili vinaigrette on top. The peanuts crunchy with each bite, the zest of the dressing adding just a touch of spice to the soft delicate flavors of the salad.

Next for my entree I chose the Ga Sate aka Chicken Sate. As I was still contemplating my fullness from my salad, my entree appeared on a large white plate, the aura of spice wafted through the air and tickled the smell buds in my nose. The Sate sauce was a deep mahogany brown and it covered the bottom of the plate. On top of the sauce were the goods - chicken, flower-cut carrots, sliced white onions and red and green peppers. The minced chunks of garlic were tasty explosions throughout the plate. Whoever says they don't like garlic because it makes their breath smell is cah-razy...just brush your teeth afterwards! Garlic is one of the most common and I must say, most delicious ingredients used in cooking. The sauce was also made of spiced ginger root providing a sweet, peppery taste. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the vegetables melted in my mouth. Although I ate a decent amount of my dish, I still had left-overs...which lasted about a half hour in the car until I came home and finished them off. This Vietnamese meal was light and fresh, an ideal dinner for the hot sticky summer.

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.