tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41629390291256105542024-03-05T23:28:20.646-08:00ike's bitesa collection of food eating and making adventuresikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18280456745860054660noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-41596526898369888772012-07-22T09:22:00.001-07:002012-07-22T09:24:27.780-07:00O.M.G. Banana Cream PieThese days, it doesn't take much to inspire me to make something new in the kitchen. I crave all sweet things! I saw <a href="http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/banana-cream-pie/" target="_blank">this post on Cupcakes and Cashmere</a> and had to make it... immediately. I love banana cream pie, so this recipe already captured my heart. But a banana cream pie with an Oreo cookie crust? Sounds like <b>O.M.G.</b> in my mouth. And was it <b>O.M.G.</b>, indeed! I made this pie for a family gathering one sunny Saturday evening, and every single person that had a taste of the banana cream pie were raving about it. I was shocked by the responses. I'm not a great dessert maker, so I am quite glad that this turned out great! Even my dad, who "grades" our cooking and rarely gives out anything above an A-, took a bite and shouted, "A+!!!!" It is truly an amazing pie. Please, I beg of you, give it a try!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Banana Cream Pie with Oreo Cookie Crust</span></b><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<u>Oreo Cookie Crust - </u><br />
- 2 cups crushed Oreo cookie crumbs<br />
- 5 Tbsp butter, melted<br />
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<u>Custard -</u><br />
- 1/3 cup sugar<br />
- 1/4 cup cornstarch<br />
- 1/8 tsp salt<br />
- 5 large egg yolks<br />
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk<br />
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, soften<br />
- 1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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3 ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices<br />
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<u>Whipped cream - </u><br />
- 1 cup chilled whipping cream<br />
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar<br />
- 1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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- chocolate curls (optional)<br />
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<b>Tools</b><br />
- food processor<br />
- whisk<br />
- fine-mesh sieve<br />
- wax paper<br />
- peeler (optional, to get chocolate curls)<br />
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<b>Steps</b><br />
1. Make the crust first. Grease up a 9 1/2 inch pie plate (if using a glass pie plate then there is no need). <br />
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2. Separate Oreo cookies from its' filling. Crush the Oreo cookies with a food processor, until fine. <br />
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3. Mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter until moistened. Dump it into the pie plate, spread it evenly over the pie plate, and press down nice and firm with a spoon. Place in fridge for 30 minutes before baking for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let it cool while making the custard.<br />
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4. Next, make the custard. Heat milk in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not boiling.<br />
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5. While milk heats, whisk together yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until smooth.<br />
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6. Add 1 cup of hot milk to yolk mixture in a stream, whisking, then add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture back to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and registers 170F on thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes (do not boil).<br />
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7. Immediately force custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and stir in butter and vanilla. Cover the surface with wax paper, cool to lukewarm, about 45 minutes.<br />
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8. After the Oreo cookie crust and custard are cooled down, start assembling the pie. Spread about 1 cup of custard in crust. Top with sliced bananas, then cover the bananas with the rest of the custard. Chill the pie for about 2 to 3 hours.<br />
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9. Beat chilled whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl to soft peaks. Spread cream over pie. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.<br />
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10. Garnish pie with chocolate curls, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.<br />
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Serves 8 - 10.<br />
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<i>Crumbly Oreo crust, eggy and sweet custard filled with bananas, and clouds of whipped cream. Heaven.</i></div>
<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-36236131188072256352012-07-12T09:08:00.000-07:002012-07-12T21:57:03.355-07:00Just Pictures: Four Years = Three Fantastic Meals (Part 2)For the last two years during "anniversary weekend", we've headed up north to Napa for a meal at <a href="http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Ad Hoc</a>, Thomas Keller's much cheaper restaurant in downtown Yountville. We wanted to continue this tradition, so we made our way up again this year. Since I couldn't enjoy any wine-tasting activities, we decided on a chill day of driving up in the morning whenever we felt like, a no frills lunch date, and whatever our hearts desire for the rest of the afternoon until dinnertime.<br />
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We discovered the <a href="http://www.marinfrenchcheese.com/" target="_blank">Marin French Cheese Factory</a> last year, thanks to LivingSocial deals. We visited this factory in Petaluma with our friends on our <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/07/just-pictures-say-cheese.html" target="_blank">food-filled adventure day</a>. They had a fabulous picnic area overlooking a cute little pond, scattered picnic tables all around, and it looked like a perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon. I've been wanting to come back here ever since and decided that since we were heading up north anyway, we should stop here for a lunch picnic.<br />
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From top left to right, clockwise: fruit salad with plum, asian pear, apricot, and strawberries // spicy pasta salad // castelvetrano green olives // triple creme brie and pesto brie // salami // hummus // garden salad // Dorito chips // sliced french baguette. A few items from home, a few items from Whole Foods, and cheese from the factory.<br />
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We ate, we played games, and we read our books and magazines on a sunny yet slightly breezy afternoon. All of our worries were washed away for a few hours. <br />
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Baby boy at 28 weeks. I think he enjoyed the relaxing time-off too!<br />
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Now on to dinner...<br />
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Drinks to start: Ginger beer from Bundaberg (light ginger ale drink... yummy!); chilled Viognier white wine (didn't get a chance to note from where and what year).<br />
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First course: Summer pole bean salad - blue lake, romano and yellow wax beans, blonde frisee, pickled radishes, chopped shallots, fingerling potatoes, with meyer lemon vinaigrette. This salad was pretty darn delicious. I can eat plates and plates of this! The pickled radishes were the best thing in the dish. This is the second time I've had something pickled from Ad Hoc and they <b>never</b> go wrong!!<br />
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Second course: Marinated beef skirt steak with parsley cous cous, Indian eggplant, romesco sauce, cauliflower florets, and wilted arugula. Because of the baby, I have to eat red meat that is thoroughly cooked (no red, no bleeding) so I was a bit disappointed that the main entree this day was steak. They were accommodating enough to provide us 2 separate steaks so the hubs doesn't have to suffer eating overcooked steak. As I was cutting through the first slice, it was amazingly easy to slice through. I was surprised. Then I took a bite of the skirt steak. Oh My God. It was so tender, perfectly marinated, and really THE BEST medium-well steak I've ever had! Especially since I've been pregnant! I kept gushing about it to the hubby and finally, he decided to try a piece. He couldn't believe it also. When the waitress came to check up on us, I gave her high praises for this amazing piece of skirt steak. The chef made my day!<br />
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Third course: Cowgirl creamery's wagon wheel with pepper stew and paladin toast. I thought this course was just OK, I think I would have preferred individual slices of different cheeses like last year. There was a younger diner sitting at the table behind us (he must be around 10 or 12 years old) and when he saw this course, he excitedly screamed, "Oh wow, grilled cheese sandwich!" That was cute.<br />
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Fourth course: Vanilla poundcake with strawberry sorbet, rhubarb compote, candied pistachios, and chantilly cream. I could have been happy with another scoop of the sorbet! Hmm hmm!<br />
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Behind the restaurant sits a fabulous garden and an extension of Ad Hoc, called <a href="http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/addendum/" target="_blank">Addendum</a>, that serves up their famous buttermilk fried chicken and barbecue ribs. The fried chicken alone is seriously worth a trip up, a definite MUST-VISIT spot when you are in town. It's only open Thursday - Saturday and from 11 - 2 PM, or whenever they sell out. I got the chance to try Addendum a few weeks ago when I was in town for my sister's bachlorette party, and that's why I can say this is a MUST-HAVE lunch!<br />
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I am amazed and in awe of Thomas Keller's gardens, the one behind Ad Hoc and the grand football-sized garden across the street from <a href="http://www.frenchlaundry.com/" target="_blank">The French Laundry</a> (pictured below) are simply fabulous. <br />
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I aspire towards having a garden like this one day... hey, a girl can dream the impossible, right?ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-70836514070356587702012-07-09T04:31:00.001-07:002012-07-09T10:59:13.934-07:00Just Pictures: Four Years = Three Fantastic Meals (Part 1)It's that time of the year again... our wedding anniversary. Seriously, where does the time go??<br />
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This year we indulged ourselves with 2 fantastic dinners and a relaxing lunch picnic by the pond. <br />
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The first dinner was on our actual anniversary, on a Thursday. Our friend EH actually kind of picked the restaurant for us - she gave me a gift certificate to <a href="http://www.restaurantjamesrandall.com/" target="_blank">James Randall</a> in downtown Los Gatos for my birthday earlier this year! So we went and indulged...<br />
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We were early enough for happy hour that day (hey, pregnant lady's got to eat, and usually early!) so the hubby ordered a delicious sounding cocktail from the menu.<br />
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The drink actually had a cool name to it, and I really should start writing these things down, but I forgot. This contained grapefruit juice and vodka, and probably some cool other things but seriously, we both forgot! And yes, it was delicious.<br />
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I had a homemade lemonade (not pictured) that totally hit the spot. Hmm, I can drink many glasses of that...<br />
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We also ordered 2 appetizers to start that were $5 for happy hour.<br />
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French fries with lemon zest, black pepper, arbequina olive oil, and homemade ketchup. Simple things are simply the best!<br />
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One of the special appetizers of the day, pork belly on a bed of arugula salad with figs and blackberries. Disappointingly, I was expecting fatty and juicy pork belly in sauce, but this was deep fried and therefore, I think, made it dry and hard to eat. Boo.<br />
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The hubby's entree: seared kobe new york steak, onion and bacon ragout, tarragon pistou, topped with foie gras butter (optional topping for some extra $$, but totally worth it!), with a side of au gratin (not pictured). I'm not a big foie gras fan, but that butter with the steak was yum-mmmy! The potato au gratin was also really good - I should have found out the cheese that was used.<br />
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My entree: Fried chicken, bacon collard greens, buttered mash potatoes, buttermilk biscuit, with honey and chive butter. All of the items in this entree were superb - my favorites were the biscuit and chive butter. The biscuit was amazingly flaky and soft, and I don't know what they did with the butter but the chives were perfectly blended in and it was just so darn good! Maybe the baby is a butter lover? Now that's my boy!<br />
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We skipped dessert at the restaurant and walked about a block to get gelato at <a href="http://www.dolcespazio.com/" target="_blank">Dolce Spazio</a>. Although we walked around downtown a bit to work off our meal prior to dessert (a great "walk", I scored some cute things at J. Crew!), we only had enough room for an uno size (small).<br />
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Half amaretto almond (amaretto gelato//toasted almonds), half oreogasmint (mint gelato//oreo pieces), with a triangle wafer. YUM!<br />
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******<br />
Since we are taking every chance to enjoy our time left as two, with just about 12 weeks to go, we took the next day off from work and ventured up north to continue our "anniversary tradition" (examples <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/07/just-pictures-ad-hoc-part-2-year-later.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/03/just-pictures-thomas-keller-for-cheap.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Part 2, a lunch picnic and fabulous dinner, will be posted next!<br />
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<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-71514917095965827942012-07-01T19:21:00.000-07:002012-07-01T19:21:00.492-07:00Tangy Fingerling Potato SaladLooking for a quick and easy potato salad for a summer BBQ or pool party? Here it is! It's cold, it's sour, it's salty. The potatoes also have a great crunch. It's a delicious little side to go along with some barbecued meat or hamburgers. Give it a try!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tangy Fingerling Potato Salad</span></b><br />
<i>from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/313228/tangy-potato-salad-with-scallions" target="_blank">Martha Stewart</a></i><br />
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<b>A few variations...</b><br />
- I used purple, red, and yukon potatoes instead.<br />
- I didn't have any white wine vinegar so used rice vinegar instead. It worked!<br />
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<i>Colorful potatoes.</i></div>
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<i>Cold and tangy.</i></div>
<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-83974061211346554392012-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:002012-06-29T08:33:00.534-07:00Pickled CucumbersThis pickled cucumbers dish was a staple item for me growing up. A popular Chinese dish, <span style="background-color: white;">I always order it whenever I am eating at a Taiwanese restaurant.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">My mom also knows that I </span><b style="background-color: white;">love </b><span style="background-color: white;">this, so she will remember to make it when it's hot out. It's been hot out, so I decided to make it for myself! It's quite a simple dish to put together... I may be pickling more often now.</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Pickled Cucumbers</span></b><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
- 8 Persian cucumbers<br />
- 2 1/2 tsp salt<br />
- 8 cloves of garlic, smashed<br />
- 4 Tbsp rice vinegar<br />
- 2 1/2 tsp sugar<br />
- 2 tsp sesame oil<br />
- garlic chili sauce, to your desired spiciness (I only put a dash for taste)<br />
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<b>Steps</b><br />
1. Wash the cucumbers and cut it in half length-wise. Cut it again length-wise to produce 4 long slices. Cut the slices in half (or thirds, depending on how long the slices are) into 2 or 3-inch pieces.<br />
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2. Toss cucumbers with salt and let it sit for 20-30 minutes, to let excess water drain out.<br />
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3. Drain water and mix in smashed garlic, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic chili sauce (optional). Mix well!<br />
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4. Place it in the refrigerator overnight (about 24 hours for best results) and enjoy!<br />
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Serves 2-3. <br />
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<i>Crunch crunch. The garlic gives it a little extra kick!</i></div>
<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-74899436202541165112012-06-27T17:55:00.000-07:002012-06-28T08:21:38.785-07:00Summer Dessert with Nectarines and ApricotsOne of the common questions I get while being pregnant right now is: <b>do you crave anything?</b> Sometimes I think long and hard about this because I don't really think I do. I do not have crazy cravings such as pickles dipped in chocolate or fries dipped in ice cream (although I already do love this with McDonald's soft serve and their french fries... hmm, I want some right now), but I guess I do <i>crave </i>something, and I eat A LOT of it... fruits!! <br />
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This started back during my first trimester, when I avoided eating a lot of things because nothing seemed appetizing to me. I felt like I had to force myself to eat my lunch or dinner (especially dinner... I just wanted to go to sleep!), but the only thing I enjoyed eating were fruits. It was apples, oranges, and bananas at the time since it was winter. Now that summer is here, I am a much happier pregnant lady! I get to enjoy items such as watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pears, cherries, and the list goes on and on... you know those Costco-sized watermelons? I can eat one all by myself in less than a week. I LOVE FRUIT!<br />
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My current love for fruits inspired me to make a quick dessert for the family last Saturday night. I have <i>sooo</i> much fruit in my fridge, why not share? This was a delicious and fulfilling galette, especially with a big scoop of <a href="http://www.haagen-dazs.com/" target="_blank">Haagen-Dazs</a> vanilla ice cream!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Nectarine and Apricot Galette</span></b><br />
<i>from <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/peach_galette/" target="_blank">Simply Recipes</a></i><br />
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<b>A few variations...</b><br />
...instead of using 2 peaches, I used 1 nectarine and 4 large apricots.<br />
...mixed 2 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon together to get cinnamon sugar, and generously sprinkled the mixture on the crust (after the eggwash process) to give it a bit more of a sugary taste. If you have coarse sugar, it's even better!<br />
...I actually forgot the small chunks of butter to be placed on top of the fruits, but I don't think it mattered much. You can opt out if <i>trying </i>to save some fatty calories (quite little though). <br />
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<i>Happy fruits.</i></div>
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<i>Alternating nectarine and apricot slices. Fold the corners to wrap it all up!</i></div>
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<i>Mouthwatering...</i></div>
<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-60230215218665966732012-06-24T16:33:00.001-07:002012-06-24T16:34:43.794-07:00Just Pictures: Big Island EatsIn terms of cooking, I've been MIA for awhile. The reason? A certain tiny human being has taken over my life and I am either too tired or too achy to step into the kitchen and whip up something. Yes, we are expecting and our ever growing baby boy is currently at 27 weeks! We cannot wait for his arrival this late September!<br />
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Before the baby's arrival, we decided to have one last go at a real vacation and spent a week on the Big Island of Hawaii. It was an amazing, relaxing, and food-filling week of sun-soaking, island-exploring, and food-tasting fun. Take a look at some of the great things (and a couple of "<b>THE BEST</b>" things) we tasted:<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/da-poke-shack-kailua" target="_blank">Da Poke Shack</a></span></b></div>
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Because I cannot eat raw fish (trust me, I was kicking myself over and over again the entire week), I have to rely on my hubby's equally good taste buds to let me know if this place was good. With a raving 5-stars from 223 reviewers on Yelp, and the hubby grinning, savoring each bite of the fish every time he had it, I knew I was missing out on something big. Daily, there are usually about 4-6 choices of poke, and you can choose 1 or 2 styles of poke, a side, and a big blob of white or brown rice with nori (seaweed) flakes sprinkled generously on top.<br />
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Top to bottom: sesame poke with kimchi mussels and white rice; Pele's Kiss with crab salad and brown rice.<br />
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Yes, I am drooling along with you. To top it off, this place was <i>literally</i> right outside our rented condo, so I have to walk by it every day, watching everyone enjoying the delicious poke! I'm not sure if we'll ever be back, but if we get the chance, I am definitely going to try it, multiple times!!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Island Fruits</span></b></div>
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Left to right: kona mango - it's just so much better in Hawaii; apple banana - tangy and sweet banana; papaya - a MUST!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Rotana's Thai Cuisine</span></b></div>
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One of <b>THE BEST</b> I've ever had - a super fresh papaya salad. It was the perfect combination of green papaya, tomatoes, carrots, peanuts, lime juice, and fish sauce. There may be other secret ingredients. I can eat this every day! </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.samchoy.com/" target="_blank">Sam Choy's</a></b></span></div>
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A nice meal with amazing views to round out our week on the Big Island.<br />
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Left to right: complementary salad and coconut curry soup, lava flow (virgin and non-virgin), and Kona chicken wings.<br />
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Top to bottom: braised short ribs on a bed of chow mien and Kona orange duck with a side of brown rice.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.scandinavianshaveice.com/" target="_blank">Scandinavian Shave Ice</a></span></b></div>
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One can't go to Hawaii without eating some shaved ice! Super fine ball of ice drenched with mango and passion fruit syrup, with a delicious macadamia nut vanilla ice cream in the center. Creamy and fruity!</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/two-ladies-kitchen-hilo" target="_blank">Two Ladies Kitchen</a></span></b></div>
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Another<b> THE BEST,</b> AND THE MOST AMAZING MOCHI I HAVE EVER HAD. EVER EVER HAD. EVER. If you are going to visit the Big Island, I <b>highly recommend</b> visiting this small store in Hilo downtown for amazing mochi. Their signature strawberry mochi is out of this world, and it really is THE freshest thing we've ever had. I've had the same strawberry mochi in Japan and it wasn't as good as the ones here. It is as big as your head and can seriously fulfill you with just one. The nice lady that helped us also gave us an extra one for the road - how nice!</div>
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We also tried other flavors, from top left to right, clockwise: lilikoi (passion fruit), marshmallow, peach, chi chi (milk-flavored), peanut butter, and brownie. We were not able to finish them all in one day, but because they are SO fresh, it was still delicious the next morning. After we finished them all, we were sad that we did not get 2 or 3 more boxes!</div>
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It was a great excuse to get away, and maybe we should have went on multiple babymoons. :)</div>
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We love Hawaii...<br />
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Baby and Me (at 19 weeks)</div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-80735191400277043652012-04-24T12:24:00.000-07:002012-04-24T12:24:00.750-07:00CatfishFor me, it is usually a treat to eat freshly steamed fish on special occasions, such as Chinese New Year or out for a banquet dinner. During a regular visit to my mother-in-law's in SF, we stopped by Chinatown (our usual hangout spot), devoured some delicious dim sum from our favorite restaurant, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-eastern-restaurant-san-francisco" target="_blank">Great Eastern Restaurant</a> (yes, where the <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2012/02/16/obama-swings-by-chinatown-restaurant/" target="_blank">President</a> was this past February!), and went grocery shopping on the busy and crazy Stockton Street. Both my mother-in-law and I bought a fresh big catfish to eat for dinner. You can truly taste the freshness in each bite!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Steamed Catfish with Black Bean Garlic Sauce</span></b><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
- 1 fresh catfish<br />
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
- 1 Tbsp garlic black bean sauce<br />
- 2 tsp soy sauce<br />
- 2 tsp rice wine<br />
- 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced<br />
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<b>Steps</b><br />
1. Wash fish thoroughly. Pat to dry.<br />
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2. Mix minced garlic, garlic black bean sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine together. Place washed fish on plate and pour mixture all of the fish.<br />
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3. Fill a large pot with water. Ensure that you have a stand or some type of device that can place a plate on top, in order to steam the fish. Turn heat to medium and let it cook and steam for about 20 minutes. The fish should be flaky when done.<br />
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4. Place thinly sliced green onions on top of the fish and serve. Serves 2-4.<br />
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<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-18420919680674655702012-04-21T14:17:00.001-07:002012-04-21T14:17:53.205-07:00Just Pictures: Tea Party For Our New Niece!My older sister is having a second child, a girl (yayy!), and didn't want a baby shower this time around. Well, I made her have one. A surprise tea party baby shower.<br />
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My sisters and I have been talking about holding a tea party for awhile now, an inspiration from my talented friend, <a href="http://cincinletseat.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Cin Cin Let's Eat</a>'s annual tea party (examples <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2010/03/valentines-day-with-lovers-and-tea.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://cincinletseat.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/tea-party-recipes/" target="_blank">here</a>). My younger sister and I planned this party together and decided on 3 savory sandwiches (my responsibility) and 4 sweets (sister's responsibility).<br />
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<b>The menu... </b><br />
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-- Curried Egg Salad --</div>
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(inspired from <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/egg_salad_sandwich/" target="_blank">here</a>, without the celery and green onions and added about 1 Tbsp of yellow curry powder to the mix of 8 eggs)</div>
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-- Chicken Salad (courtesy of Safeway, haha) --</div>
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-- Cucumber Sandwiches with herb butter, half with proscuitto on top --</div>
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(mix softened butter with chives and salt, thinly slice an English cucumber and nicely layer cucumber pieces on bread)</div>
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-- Raspberry Coconut Thumbprint Cookies --</div>
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-- various cupcakes from <a href="http://www.frostcupcakefactory.com/" target="_blank">Frost Factory</a> --</div>
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-- Passion Fruit Tart with Strawberries and Raspberries --</div>
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-- Fruit Salad (not pictured) --</div>
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The spread </div>
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It was a fabulous time on a Sunday afternoon of April Fools Day. We cannot wait for our little niece to arrive in the world (just a few more weeks, yeah!). <br />
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<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-60900664314872466962012-02-19T09:26:00.000-08:002012-02-19T09:26:41.927-08:00Discovering New Vegetables: Kale!Kale is like the "hip" vegetable lately. I'm not sure if it's because I suddenly have a new appreciation for it so that I notice, but it's everywhere! I first encountered this vegetable due to the <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/09/live-blogging-3-day-juice-cleanse.html" target="_blank">juice cleanse</a> I did last year. One of the two green juices I drank everyday for 3 days had kale in it. Soon after the cleanse, we purchased a <a href="http://www.vitamix.com/" target="_blank">Vitamix</a> in order to make healthy smoothies. Oh man, the Vitamix blender is the most amazing thing and may be my second most favorite tool in the kitchen! For green smoothies, I sought out different vegetables to use and a lot of the recipes I found used kale. I initially ate a lot of kale in a blended fashion, but after finding this salad recipe and still having lots of it in the fridge, I decided to give solid kale a chance. What a great salad.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fully-Loaded Kale Salad</span></b><br />
adapted from <a href="http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2011/09/fully-loaded-kale-salad.html" target="_blank">Healthy. Happy. Life.</a><br />
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<b>A few variations...</b><br />
...I used marinated artichokes, pears, romaine lettuce, persian cucumbers, plum tomatoes, and avocados.<br />
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A surprisingly nutty and tangy dressing.</div>
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Refreshing!</div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-33597555428570164022012-02-05T17:33:00.000-08:002012-02-05T17:35:15.770-08:00Hmm Hmm Dulce de LecheThis cookie was started with the dulce de leche recipe I found online. When I saw what was used to make the dulce de leche, I was immediately hooked. Can you guess what tool was used?? Well, of course, a crockpot!!! THE easiest recipe I've seen thus far, all you do is take a can of condensed milk (label off), drop it into a pool of water inside the crockpot, and turn it to low for 8 hours. Ahh-maaa-zing!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ginger Thumbprint Cookies with Dulce de Leche</span></b><br />
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From <a href="http://chocswirl.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/ginger-thumbprint-cookies-with-dulce-de-leche/" target="_blank">Chocswirl</a> (ginger thumbprint cookies):<br />
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<strong>Just one variation...</strong><br />
...substituted molasses with maple syrup<br />
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Roll cookie dough into balls and <i>gently</i> push down the center.</div>
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And from <a href="http://theculinarychronicles.com/2010/04/04/easy-peasy-dulce-de-leche/" target="_blank">The Culinary Chronicles</a> (dulce de leche):<br />
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Simply exquisite dulce de leche</div>
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I know, the presentation of these cookies are not the best. I may have used my thumb a bit too aggressively, and I blame it on the fact that I do not have piping materials yet! Regardless, it was quite delicious. Even my husband's coworkers agreed.ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-60215619436871339062012-01-13T12:51:00.000-08:002012-01-13T12:51:00.456-08:00Peanut Butter, Banana... and ChocolateI think I buy too many bananas. Maybe because the bananas are stored in the corner of the kitchen, I don't usually see it and so I forget to eat it. I am also pretty particular about my bananas - I like them more on the green side and harder than normally ripped bananas. As soon as I see a few specks of black on the bananas, I would not eat them. So what can I do with these really ripe bananas? Bake banana items, of course!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Peanut Butter Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips</span></b><br />
<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/02/peanut-butter-banana-bread/" target="_blank">Joy the Baker</a></i><br />
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<b>A few variations...</b><br />
...instead of making an entire loaf of banana bread, I used a 12-cup muffin/cupcake pan instead. <br />
...baked for 23 minutes at 350 degrees<br />
...added chocolate chips!<br />
...used plain greek yogurt (fage, the best!) instead<br />
...didn't use ground flaxseed meal or dry roasted peanuts because didn't have any<br />
...had left over batter after filling the muffin pan, so I took out my mini-muffin pan and made 8 more mini muffins (not pictured)<br />
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<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-43483655529672525652012-01-09T08:36:00.000-08:002012-01-09T09:19:03.784-08:00Just Pictures: Birthday with a Foodie Adventure - The MissionI turned 30 this past week. I was dreading this event about a year ago when I turned 29 and couldn't help but feel like it was just down hill from here. When my birthday arrived this year, I was at home sick and battling a horrible cough. The good thing about this year was that I actually did not "freak out" about turning another year older. Maybe this is what growing up feels like.<br />
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To celebrate going over the (small) hill, my dear hubby and friends planned a Saturday of activities for me. The entire day was a surprise and they kept their mouths shut until the very last minute. My instructions were to get ready to go by 9 AM, dress comfortably, and bring a "night outfit" to change into. Interesting. I did just that and we were off!<br />
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We got off San Jose Ave. in San Francisco and I knew we were in the Mission District. What could we possibly do here so early in the morning (it was only 9:45 AM at this point...)?? They told me we were early, so we found a McDonalds at 24th and Mission St., right in the heart of the Mission, and sat down with a couple of hot drinks. When it was close to 11 AM, we headed towards the opposite corner of the intersection and stood there, right in front of a place called "Chinese Food & Donuts". Interesting combination. We went in to check it out and they literally had chinese food in one corner (smelled so good!) and donuts in the other. Gotta love diversity in San Francisco! <br />
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At this point, I still had NO IDEA what was going on! After about 5 minutes, I started seeing other people stopping and standing in our corner, looking like people who were also waiting for something. This one particular girl was holding a piece of paper and so I deviously looked really hard and caught two important words on her printout: Foodie Adventure. Oh my gosh, how great! I've always wanted to do something like that! This event was <a href="http://www.foodieadventures.com/FoodieAdventures/Chris_Milanos_FOODIE_ADVENTURES%21____San_Francisco_Food_Tours____Culinary_Walking_Tours_of_the_Mission_District,_North_Beach_%26_Chinatown.html" target="_blank">Chris Milano's Foodie Adventures</a> of the Mission District. Chris was a wonderful tour guide: enthusiastic, friendly, and really love the culture and the food offered by the people of The Mission. As he grew up in SF and near The Mission, you can sense a great appreciation and love that he has for this neighborhood. He started the day by explaining what today's tour will consist of and named all the places and things we were going to eat. My god. My mouth was watering so desperately! <br />
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I hope that the pictures I took did justice for this tour. If you love Mexican food and love learning new things, you gotta check it out!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/kings-bakery-cafe-san-francisco" target="_blank">Kings Panaderia</a> (Bakery Cafe)</span></b></div>
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Believe it or not, this is a Chinese bakery in The Mission! </div>
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Their <b>coconut buns</b> were voted as one of the <a href="http://www.7x7.com/big-eat-2011-100-things-try-san-francisco-you-die" target="_blank">100 items to try before you die</a> on <a href="http://www.7x7.com/" target="_blank">7x7SF</a> for 2011. Just 60 cents for these bad boys. We also sampled their fresh <b>baguette rolls</b> (only 30 cents, what?!) and <b>brownies</b>. I also had my eyes on the cream rolls (bread roll with whipped cream inside... one of my faves), but figured I should pace myself since this was the first place we hit.<br />
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<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/belmar-la-gallinita-meat-market-san-francisco" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Belmar - La Gallinita Meat Market</span></b></a></div>
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If you've ever eaten or bought flap meat, this was the place that flap meat was born. Sal, the owner and knowledgeable butcher, was the guy that found this tender and fatty meat that most were throwing away at the time. There is a whole story about it, but I will save it for any fellow foodies that would like to experience the tour.<br />
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On Saturdays, the taco shop (in a small corner within the butcher shop) sells <b>sesos (cow brain) tacos</b> (first pictured), sesos and other things stuffed in a corn taco shell and deep fried. The <b>cecina (beef flap meat) taco</b> was my favorite out of everything we ate (second pictured). The meat was ten...der!<br />
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<a href="http://tortas-lospicudos.com/" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tortas Los Picudos</span></b></a></div>
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This place is known for their giant torta sandwiches, a huge selection of different types of tortas to choose from. Maybe because of its massiveness, we didn't get to try the torta sandwiches but instead another amazing item on their menu.<br />
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We sampled the <b>enchiladas caseras verdes</b> (house special enchiladas, filled with tender chicken and topped with green salsa, queso fresco (fresh cheese), and various veggies) and washed it down with a freshly blended fruit and veggie smoothie (I didn't catch the name), containing beets, carrots, celery, pineapple, watermelon, and a couple more!<br />
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<a href="http://lapalmasf.com/" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">La Palma Mexica-Tessan</span></b></a></div>
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Known for it's masa (cornmeal dough), this place brings out super fresh tortillas by only making them when you order it. The dough form goes through a tortilla presser and than on to the hot top grill to cook before it is used to make a giant burrito. Seriously fresh.<br />
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<b>Huaraches</b> (also the word for "shoe" in Spanish), an oblong fried masa and bean-filled dish, with tomatillo salsa, queso fresco, cabbage, onions, and hot sauce. I've never had this before and it was a delightful discovery. We bought a pack to go.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-espiga-de-oro-san-francisco" target="_blank">La Espiga de Oro</a></b></span></div>
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This place is just about 500 feet away and is La Palma's masa rival. </div>
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<b>Pupusas</b>, thick masa dough filled with cheese and chicharron (ground deep fried pork), topped with pickled Mexican cole slaw and salsa. We also sampled <b>masa tamale</b> (super sweet corn paste, it was dessert-like) and a drink called <b>atole</b>, a masa-based warm drink with sugar and cinnamon. Many will consume this for breakfast because of the heartiness of the masa in the drink. I have to say I've never had any of these 3 items and enjoyed them quite much.<br />
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<a href="http://www.elfarolitoinc.com/" target="_blank"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">El Farolito</span></b></a></div>
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Our last stop was at the famous El Farolito, a chain taqueria that was born in the heart of The Mission. Chris told us a story that the last time Lady Gaga was in town for a concert, she wanted to experience the true Mission District and therefore stopped by El Farolito for a burrito. He stated, quite jokingly, "If it's good for Gaga, it's good for us!"<br />
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<b>Taco al pastor</b> (slow-cooked pork) and a surprising <b>horchata</b> (never had one that was so concentrated!). We can't wait to come back to get some more of these meaty goodness! My second favorite place!<br />
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Sweet souvenirs from the tour, courtesy of Chris. From left to right, clockwise: <b>Pelon push pop</b> - tamarind and chili gooey goodness. It's sweet, sour, and spicy all at the same time! I'm addicted to these now. <b>De la Rosa's Mazapan</b> - peanut-based chewy sweet confection. <b>Aldama's Cajeta</b> - goat milk caramel. Lightly sweet, soft and chewy. I also got a bottle of habanero hot sauce because it was my birthday. I'm quite scared to try it.<br />
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The day ended with a delicious Italian dinner at <a href="http://www.osteriacoppa.com/" target="_blank">Osteria Coppa</a> in San Mateo. I blew out these huge "30" candles on a chocolate truffle cake from <a href="http://www.victoriapastry.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Bakery</a>. Although not on this exact day, I also received a jaw-dropping present (yes, my jaw literally dropped and I screamed "holy crap!") from the hubby - a MacBook Pro! I seriously <b>love</b> this thing! <b>It was truly a wonderful and splendid 30th birthday.</b> Thank you to my hubby who planned this amazing day. And to my dear friends and little sister that brainstormed and reassured the hubby's decisions (as I was told). My birthdays are normally mellow and uneventful, since it happens soon after everyone is partied out from Christmas and New Years, so this one tops as one of the best birthdays, hands down!ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-41815698259083453742012-01-07T10:54:00.000-08:002012-01-07T10:54:00.103-08:00Kimchi Fried RiceThe last week of December is my favorite time of the year. Besides Christmas and the New Year, we also have a mandatory shutdown at work, as part of my company's required time-off. An entire week of no work makes me a happy girl!<br />
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I had some smokies left over from our Christmas brunch so I decided to make fried rice. I also had some kimchi in my fridge (always a good thing to have in one's fridge) so came up with the idea to make kimchi fried rice. We finished all of the rice by the next day. Yum!<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kimchi Fried Rice</span></b><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
- 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice (preferably Korean, Japanese or jasmine rice), about 1-2 days old<br />
- 3 large eggs<br />
- about 10-15 smokies, roughly chopped<br />
- 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots<br />
- 1 cup kimchi, thinly sliced<br />
- 1 stalk green onions, chopped<br />
- 2 tsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp olive oil<br />
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce<br />
- 1/2 Tbsp butter<br />
<br />
<b>Tools</b><br />
- wok<br />
<br />
<b>Steps</b><br />
1. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil the wok on medium to high heat. In the meantime, beat 3 eggs in a bowl until well mixed. Once the oil is heated, add beaten eggs and stir until cooked. Place scrambled eggs in a bowl and set aside.<br />
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2. In the same wok (no need to clean it), heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium to high heat. Add in cooked rice and stir until rice is halfway cooked (rice should be softer), for about 5 minutes. Add in smokies, frozen peas and carrots, and soy sauce. Stir until well incorporated, for about 8 minutes.<br />
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3. Once the smokies, peas, and carrots are cooked, add in sliced kimchi, green onions, and scrambled eggs. Stir all the ingredients together and cook for another 8 minutes. Right before the fried rice is done, add in the 1/2 Tbsp of butter and stir until butter is melted.<br />
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Serves 4.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6Xs7iMEyiUw2BBzpglCZEJQrF7usPOgB3KHdOkSiPDlpDQNqxTR26I8OguCsgErGsKkvvEsE8sf9R5z8lUsHSHB3N7A3L59Q3k6SZh17xXFbO5laGWQbHEcumSST0vGWcHkXleLb4dyH/s1600/IMG_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6Xs7iMEyiUw2BBzpglCZEJQrF7usPOgB3KHdOkSiPDlpDQNqxTR26I8OguCsgErGsKkvvEsE8sf9R5z8lUsHSHB3N7A3L59Q3k6SZh17xXFbO5laGWQbHEcumSST0vGWcHkXleLb4dyH/s640/IMG_0694.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-16311559719785711142012-01-04T13:09:00.000-08:002012-01-04T13:09:00.159-08:00Christmas Brunch, A Family TraditionEver since I can remember, our family always opened presents on Christmas morning and ate a delicious brunch afterwards. When I was a kid, I used to look forward to the part when we opened presents, but now as an adult and a foodie, I really look forward to the brunch! It used to be simple: eggs, toast, and bacon. There would be freshly squeezed orange juice every now and then. When I started cooking a few years back, I gradually took over cooking the Christmas brunch. Each year I try to come up with a different breakfast item, from breakfast burritos to asparagus fritatta, or pancakes and scrambled eggs. I even attempted to make eggs benedict one year, but failed miserably with the hollandaise sauce. Let's just say, thank goodness that the toasted English muffin, ham, and poached eggs were delicious without the sauce. <br />
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This year's menu was Challah french toast, Belgian waffles (2 kinds, regular and with chocolate chips), bacon, smokies, and a fresh fruit salad with strawberries, raspberries, and grapes. Both the french toasts and waffles were a hit with the family. That makes me really happy. We also opened our presents on full and satisfied bellies. That makes me extra happy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNFmOO0JhSmefYXNeTB3ChvxFYF1lgUnBwHQj9kdzQnai1Iw5kyqy7SbwzoE5ytd8vm7NkE-3UDeaO6joWKWIDWP0AmtWb8NCPgy16UsqRTRzQPedx_yGLO73l9qWQh3-Y73xmJcJE4vW/s1600/IMG_0613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNFmOO0JhSmefYXNeTB3ChvxFYF1lgUnBwHQj9kdzQnai1Iw5kyqy7SbwzoE5ytd8vm7NkE-3UDeaO6joWKWIDWP0AmtWb8NCPgy16UsqRTRzQPedx_yGLO73l9qWQh3-Y73xmJcJE4vW/s640/IMG_0613.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Challah French Toast</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
- 1 loaf of challah bread<br />
- 6 large eggs<br />
- 3/4 cup whole milk<br />
- 1 tsp cinnamon<br />
- a few dashes of orange zest (optional)<br />
- butter for griddle<br />
- sifted powdered sugar for garnish<br />
- sliced strawberries for garnish<br />
<br />
<b>Tools</b><br />
- whisk<br />
- griddle<br />
- zester (optional)<br />
<br />
<b>Steps</b><br />
1. Heat griddle on medium to high heat.<br />
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2. While the griddle is heating up, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, and orange zest (if using) together. Slice the challah bread, in 1/2 inch increments.<br />
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3. Place a small chunk of butter on the griddle and let it melt. Dip a sliced challah bread in the liquid mixture and place the bread on the griddle. Repeat until griddle is full. Cook the bread for about 3-4 minutes on each side.</div>
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Serves 4-6, with powdered sugar, warm maple syrup, and butter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlgp_Kh6lLDsyFF5ZYzX5_3spVQsENUJObz8sJHKjT-kgFATxq4DloOszSZhnM6_IdxIDL4yhppQPZreVHTrD6cc-olLwK8VcAf3ctDJsJiUUuhy-2CzHGf6rWk4ImVGfGxPB-ifqLqeE/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlgp_Kh6lLDsyFF5ZYzX5_3spVQsENUJObz8sJHKjT-kgFATxq4DloOszSZhnM6_IdxIDL4yhppQPZreVHTrD6cc-olLwK8VcAf3ctDJsJiUUuhy-2CzHGf6rWk4ImVGfGxPB-ifqLqeE/s640/IMG_0626.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Belgian Waffles (with or without Chocolate Chips)</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
- 2 cups Bisquick mix<br />
- 1 large egg<br />
- 1 1/3 cup buttermilk<br />
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature<br />
- 1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)<br />
<br />
<b>Tools</b><br />
- whisk<br />
- waffle maker<br />
<br />
<b>Steps</b><br />
1. Heat the waffle maker.<br />
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2. Whisk the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract together. Pour in the Bisquick flour and mix until incorporated (lumps are totally OK!). Mix in chocolate chips if adding.<br />
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3. Pour about 1/2 cup of mixture in the waffle maker. Cook until ready, according to the waffle maker's cooking instructions. Here are some <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/03/whole-wheat-waffles.html" target="_blank">tips</a> from a previous waffle post.<br />
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Makes 4-5 Belgian waffles.ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-5105919479822507092012-01-02T01:02:00.000-08:002012-01-02T01:02:00.375-08:00Another Year, Another BirthdayIt's the hubby's birthday again! I swear, the past year flew by like a flash. In keeping up with last year's <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/01/special-post-happy-birthday-hubby.html" target="_blank">post</a>, I wanted to share one thing that the hubs enjoyed in 2011:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qZMlFYBFI6dPTdGTFM_A7WNdt5ATqg-H4IjY21NAwYJ7L4HsnzEcy3dg2qsKCBmgDN52Ec_o4EK_2zJ5RFYYWlxcDMGMeuZWB1E1ust7h90yLT8jg17Te2yvf-g0tiCHYZOOKvHZtjHE/s1600/IMG_0821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qZMlFYBFI6dPTdGTFM_A7WNdt5ATqg-H4IjY21NAwYJ7L4HsnzEcy3dg2qsKCBmgDN52Ec_o4EK_2zJ5RFYYWlxcDMGMeuZWB1E1ust7h90yLT8jg17Te2yvf-g0tiCHYZOOKvHZtjHE/s640/IMG_0821.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Crab Roll from <a href="http://www.331fish.com/" target="_blank">Fish</a> in Salsalito, CA. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Happy Birthday, you!</span></b>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-17740432147853774192011-12-31T11:47:00.000-08:002011-12-31T11:47:00.421-08:00Annual Holiday Dinner - Main Entree #2My friends and I share a common passion - we love *<b>LOVE*</b> anything truffled, such as truffle oil, salt, cheese, and the best one of them all, truffle honey! One of my friends attending the holiday dinner (and actually the non-vegetarian one) requested truffled mac and cheese. I had originally planned to make a wild mushroom cream pasta dish, but the request for mac and cheese gave me a great idea to combine the two. I searched long and hard for a great recipe and simply incorporated mushrooms into the entree. I knew that this entree was a success when, besides me having an orgasmic time as I was eating it, there were barely anything left at the end of the meal!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu9YvgBFftJ1I7RHoWDnOb4CqVFetNYPUFvaoqunkIiyQ-mWbcxQqXH6XbSLU5-6_1VJHYd3uro56Bd75Fl9BM94U5O27Re7ElBJScfZWEP93qJUAsg0Nfu-GWPDCQSKPthkbdnfJRyo9/s1600/IMG_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPu9YvgBFftJ1I7RHoWDnOb4CqVFetNYPUFvaoqunkIiyQ-mWbcxQqXH6XbSLU5-6_1VJHYd3uro56Bd75Fl9BM94U5O27Re7ElBJScfZWEP93qJUAsg0Nfu-GWPDCQSKPthkbdnfJRyo9/s640/IMG_0657.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Truffled Mac and Cheese with Mushrooms</span></strong><br />
<em>adapted from </em><a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2010/02/truffled-mac-n-cheese.html"><em>One Perfect Bite</em></a><br />
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<b>A few variations...</b><br />
...added cremini and fresh shiitake mushrooms to the dish. Saute the mushrooms with 1 Tbsp butter, until cooked down. Drain liquid. Add to dish during the part where mixing of pasta, cheese, and cream takes place.<br />
...used panko breadcrumbs<br />
...in the madness of cooking several dishes at the same time, I forgot to toss the pasta with truffle oil. Instead, we added the oil on top after serving to each individual person.<br />
...used whole milk instead of heavy cream (for a little less fat...)<br />
...I recently purchased black truffle salt from the NYC trip, so I added the salt wherever I can (to the pasta, to the cream sauce, to the mushrooms)<br />
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Baked to perfection.</div>
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Besides the amazing buttermilk fried chicken and orgasmic truffled mac and cheese with mushrooms, we also feasted on:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Waffles - regular and bacon</li>
<li>Green beans with caramelized onions</li>
<li>Sauteed spinach with toasted sesame</li>
<li>Holiday spiced yams with almond and hazelnut</li>
</ul>
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It was one incredible meal. And one great get together.<br />
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Table setup, with this year's party favors.</div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-56428284820533282582011-12-30T14:10:00.000-08:002011-12-30T14:10:36.594-08:00Annual Holiday Dinner - Main Entree #1For the past 6 years, my husband and I have been holding an annual holiday dinner with our close and dear friends. Wow, I didn't even realize how long it has been until I had to think about it! I love hosting this dinner because we get to unite under one roof, especially with friends coming home from New York. As we go through our daily grind of work and life during the year, the holiday season is a great excuse to spend a little more time together, and not to forget, to stuff our faces to the maximum!<br />
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In the past, I have tackled roasted chicken, beef roast, and different types of pasta. This year, I got the crazy idea (I think it came to me in a dream) to be ambitious and cook something unfamiliar to me: frying. I figured that if I was to go all out and serve a fried main entree, I might as well make something amazing. I chose Thomas Keller's famous Buttermilk Friend Chicken from <a href="http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Ad Hoc</a>. The result? <strong>Oh My Goodness.</strong> I've never tasted the actual fried chicken from the restaurant, but if it's as good as the ones I made, Oh My Goodness!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Thomas Keller's Buttermilk Fried Chicken</span></strong><br />
<em>from <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=ad+hoc+at+home&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3988640705634516883&sa=X&ei=h3_9TtSKCMKSiAKGqJ2rDg&ved=0CD8Q8wIwAQ#ps-sellers" target="_blank">Ad Hoc at Home</a></em><br />
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I also found this recipe online, at this <a href="http://momofukufor2.com/2010/03/ad-hoc-buttermilk-fried-chicken-recipe/" target="_blank">blog</a>. <br />
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Because of my unfamiliarity with frying, I held a kitchen "test run" the weekend before the holiday dinner. A few lessons learned:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I messed up on the salt measurement and the chicken turned out to be much saltier than I would have liked. </li>
<li>I decided to fry outside (as to spare my house from being filled up in oil fumes), so I used our side burner on the BBQ grill. Keeping the oil at a constant 320 degrees was challenging. Although difficult, we watched it carefully and all of the chicken came out cooked and delicious. </li>
<li>There are different cooking times for different parts of the chicken. Drumsticks and thighs are about 12 minutes at 320 degrees, and breasts and wings are about 8 minutes at 340 degrees. This was explained in the recipe book, but as it was near the end of the page, I stopped reading midway through (bad habit of mine). I cooked the breasts and wings also at 12 minutes and although not overcooked, the outside was much crispier and darker than the rest.</li>
</ul>
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Lots of chicken drums and thighs, laying out to dry after 12 hours of brining. As Thomas Keller stated in the book, the chicken brine is KEY! Chicken pieces dredged in the spiced flour mixture.</div>
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I used peanut oil to fry. Look at it go! And they all came out golden and crisp! Another important tool to have is a deep fry thermometer.</div>
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Yum yum yum.</div>
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I have a vegetarian friend so I typically serve 2 main entrees at the holiday dinner. Main entree #2, a vegetarian item, will be featured in the next post! Stay tuned!ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-77557338698704305042011-12-28T23:21:00.000-08:002011-12-30T12:48:32.248-08:00Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Casual Meals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And to think I had no more to share about NYC... but I do! This is actually my last post for the "New York City Edition" series of pictures. I hope you're not sad. I am a little sad since it will be awhile before we get to roam the streets of New York City again. It was a really great trip!! Thanks to our wonderful hosts, E and A!<br />
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I leave you with pictures of a few casual lunches and dinners.<br />
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<a href="http://www.crifdogs.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Crif Dogs</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // East Village</span></strong><br />
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Hot dogs are our counterparts' favorite thing to eat, and a few months before this trip, the boys bought coupons to Crif Dogs: $8 for $16 worth of food.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span></div>
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Chihuahua - bacon wrapped hot dog, avocadoes, sour cream<br />
Good Morning - bacon wrapped hot dog, melted cheese, fried egg</div>
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Veggie Special - veggie dog with onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and jalapenos</div>
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Jersey's Finest - taylor ham wrapped hot dog, mustard, onions, secret chili sauce</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span></div>
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Spicy Redneck - bacon wrapped hot dog, chili, cole slaw, jalepenos</div>
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Good 'ol waffle fries</div>
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Crunchy tater tots smoothered in melted cheese</div>
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<a href="http://grimaldis.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Grimaldi's Pizzeria</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Brooklyn (under the Brooklyn Bridge!) and other locations</span></strong><br />
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As I previously mentioned, before this trip, we have never stepped out of Manhattan. The hubby heard of an amazing pizzeria under the Brooklyn Bridge and we thought this trip would be a perfect opportunity to explore one of the New York burroughs. Good decision.</div>
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Long lines right before opening! We were part of that line too.</div>
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Fresh garlic, mushroom, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, italian sausage. It doesn't look like anything special, but it was <strong>amaze-balls</strong>. Yes, I said it, amazeballs. Thin crust and hot piping cheese and ingredients. So, so good...</div>
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<a href="http://ippudony.com/index.php"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Ippudo</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // East Village</span></strong><br />
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Our "must-hit" spot whenever we visit New York. This wonderful ramen restaurant comes straight from Japan, and is the only location in the states. The homemade noodles are thin-cut and freshly made downstairs (you can see them make it on your way to the bathroom), and the broth is just simply amazing. If you are ever in New York, you <strong><u>have to</u></strong> try Ippudo!</div>
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Entrance</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span></div>
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Karaka Men - original "Tonkotsu" soup base, special blend of hot spices, pork chashu, kikurage, cabbage, onion, minced pork, and scallions</div>
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Akamaru Modern - original "Tonkotsu" soup base, secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, kikurage, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil</div>
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Wasabi Tonkotsu Ramen (special of the day)</div>
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Vegetarian Ramen</div>
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<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/food-gallery-32-new-york"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Food Gallery 32</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Koreatown (Midtown West)</span></strong></div>
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I love Korean food courts. There is one near my area and I tried to go whenever I can. My friend suggested Food Gallery 32 in Koreatown as part of our itinerary and I was excited the moment I saw it.<br />
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Nestled in busy Midtown, the entrance to this place can be easily missed if you don't look hard enough. All of the food are purchased downstairs, and you can find seating on the all three different floors.</div>
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From <strong>Noodle 32</strong>: bibim-nangmyun, much like cold noodles, Korean-style. Buckwheat noodles mixed in a spicy and thick red pepper sauce. Lots of veggies, such as cucumber, radish, carrots, cabbage, and kimchi.</div>
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From <strong>Hanok</strong>: Vegetarian bibimbap</div>
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From <strong>O-de-ppang!</strong>: Spicky pork teppan-yaki.</div>
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From <strong>Bian Dang</strong>: Xiao Long Bao (although these buns are more like regular meat buns, and not soup dumpling xiao long bao's, they were still good!)</div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-45905834257356841352011-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:002011-12-25T08:00:06.212-08:00Merry Christmas!It's Christmas! The air outside has been cold and nippy, truly perfect for this holiday season. I wanted to write a quick post to simply wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 will be a fantastic year! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0GkLzom-dE_ltkozyJjUah6FpFrCZzc21r4R0ikxCZlt58hC1bUhcGrCr14F105ZmGJeD53Ep_7qO_tSG_bFrAq7iG1MpFIJrHqipccRILK1uDYZdj-rkPy3ir7Qu4T_jka89Um16LRS/s1600/IMG_0639_framed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0GkLzom-dE_ltkozyJjUah6FpFrCZzc21r4R0ikxCZlt58hC1bUhcGrCr14F105ZmGJeD53Ep_7qO_tSG_bFrAq7iG1MpFIJrHqipccRILK1uDYZdj-rkPy3ir7Qu4T_jka89Um16LRS/s640/IMG_0639_framed.jpg" width="426px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our 3-year-old tree. :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77fpN0e00CrQiWM5cb6w8ybz4GIocyL9hoOMGUTC679XXiJNt8t1o2FwrgfSGEHGJpcOn3u5WKfyxCu_d488DYOM9_55Sxw8Sz0kcDGrsLfqmFf4YPhRMc4I_B-tNm5OotnJwANbPvj0D/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77fpN0e00CrQiWM5cb6w8ybz4GIocyL9hoOMGUTC679XXiJNt8t1o2FwrgfSGEHGJpcOn3u5WKfyxCu_d488DYOM9_55Sxw8Sz0kcDGrsLfqmFf4YPhRMc4I_B-tNm5OotnJwANbPvj0D/s640/IMG_0610.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">What is a food blog without any pictures of food? You know I had to! I held a few of holiday parties and decided to remake these <a href="http://ikesbites.blogspot.com/2011/11/pumpkin-gingerbread.html">Pumpkin Gingerbread Mini Bundt Cakes</a>, since they were so delicious, and spruced them up with this <a href="http://southernfood.about.com/cs/cakerecipes/ht/basic_glaze.htm">glaze</a> recipe.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgIdAlT6GkIaukOiYIpe0fTq_MqG8BhRfJzNaZDxrddLcncm55GkUCfb-TYNdOFHLZ_ZmPPSH1cmVVVs_ZB4NmCk0-Av9Nqot_GnbA2oeW2FRZbhmPKBmp3wst8b5yHKRGKJOxWkCRSOF/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgIdAlT6GkIaukOiYIpe0fTq_MqG8BhRfJzNaZDxrddLcncm55GkUCfb-TYNdOFHLZ_ZmPPSH1cmVVVs_ZB4NmCk0-Av9Nqot_GnbA2oeW2FRZbhmPKBmp3wst8b5yHKRGKJOxWkCRSOF/s640/IMG_0618.JPG" width="426px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Party favors all wrapped up.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6dX-s3_gjjGuhVpvrgb1IdatQ9bdgotF0ybXhG-wNdvwOYEebQAHKHgajCvh5yHMeQjdYvH24vXkiLpILEq0qCTU7a0BOkvhKUtWVGV6ozUeoYcxmLv5zRgpEh0wOIKZ76_iIqqfUzkH/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426px" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6dX-s3_gjjGuhVpvrgb1IdatQ9bdgotF0ybXhG-wNdvwOYEebQAHKHgajCvh5yHMeQjdYvH24vXkiLpILEq0qCTU7a0BOkvhKUtWVGV6ozUeoYcxmLv5zRgpEh0wOIKZ76_iIqqfUzkH/s640/IMG_0631.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mr. Snowman says, "<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: lime;">H</span><span style="color: red;">a</span><span style="color: lime;">p</span><span style="color: red;">p</span><span style="color: lime;">y</span> <span style="color: red;">H</span><span style="color: lime;">o</span><span style="color: red;">l</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: lime;">i</span>d<span style="color: lime;">a</span>y<span style="color: lime;">s</span>!</span></span></strong>"</div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-56190410143149319152011-12-20T11:17:00.000-08:002011-12-20T11:21:56.720-08:00Just Pictures (New York City Edition): More MarketsWe visited three other markets on this trip: Chelsea Market, Union Square Green Market, and Union Square Holiday Shops.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chelseamarket.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Chelsea Market</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Chelsea</span></strong></div><br />
The Chelsea Market reminds me of the San Francisco Ferry Building, but bigger. It's an indoor market with lots and lots of different shops and restaurants, from bakeries to seafood markets, gourmet shops and various cuisines. Besides eating to your heart's content, there are also stores where you can shop to your heart's content. It is like a girl's paradise! My friend and I spent hours inside a sample sale store (designer clothing at a <em>much</em> lower price) and drooled as I went window shopping for food. Little food shops were everywhere. Love.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs5zMB6zzEDRbPXrBg-osl10RrEBnpzIEw2n9Nqai4fnpz-PQdim45-a4ThsDeWfL9wd_I5P34X6kyWw0MDL3cVcJiURcGWRgCnuFx8Fkg2ZlvPXBg_XokR313tAQ_UA7MRJcM2HtXaJa/s1600/chelsea+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJs5zMB6zzEDRbPXrBg-osl10RrEBnpzIEw2n9Nqai4fnpz-PQdim45-a4ThsDeWfL9wd_I5P34X6kyWw0MDL3cVcJiURcGWRgCnuFx8Fkg2ZlvPXBg_XokR313tAQ_UA7MRJcM2HtXaJa/s640/chelsea+1.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shops and stores all along the way and freshly baked breads from <a href="http://www.amysbread.com/">Amy's Bread</a>.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5dIIw5Sk_K94HeBfj4ZnpTTS7mICP1y3Y9bsBEugG13r4XvKfkHHk_a6Bd52ZQDhKt_C9TMCPCzzYf0lx_UYnnKhuaQStAEd8uPqGfzRjLvMFI7yIsnp3zTseyIF5H2Xmpj985tfAYVC/s1600/chelsea+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5dIIw5Sk_K94HeBfj4ZnpTTS7mICP1y3Y9bsBEugG13r4XvKfkHHk_a6Bd52ZQDhKt_C9TMCPCzzYf0lx_UYnnKhuaQStAEd8uPqGfzRjLvMFI7yIsnp3zTseyIF5H2Xmpj985tfAYVC/s640/chelsea+3.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://elenis.com/">Eleni:</a> a unique bakery with giant cupcakes and fancy (and quite expensive!) cookies.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kus07HZA13owHsMFgJK_LkUu28PzE8hqXQDJMRlMxhYpmaKdxuN50e1onGOJwmcx1iQbaJlblO2roxhQSwSRpHUHUPv7oyoRWJsp6M4gt_AV_d2cCGQoHu-ysdgKLivOswl7vzQxsP5k/s1600/chelsea+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kus07HZA13owHsMFgJK_LkUu28PzE8hqXQDJMRlMxhYpmaKdxuN50e1onGOJwmcx1iQbaJlblO2roxhQSwSRpHUHUPv7oyoRWJsp6M4gt_AV_d2cCGQoHu-ysdgKLivOswl7vzQxsP5k/s640/chelsea+2.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fresh seafood galore!</div><br />
Right next to the Chelsea Market was an area called <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/">The High Line</a>. It used to be an old railroad situated above ground and in the last few years, turned into a public park. The High Line stretches about 18 blocks with lots of shrubbery and trees, along with office and residential buildings along the way. We saw a couple of residences that were placed right next to the High Line, with large windows that people can look in (and the homeowners can look out). I'm not sure why anyone would want to live there? We were lucky and caught a weekend of nice high 60's degree weather in New York, and we had a leisurely little walk on the High Line.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2i0ocNYawmVaUzme1ecsxsBN-FTi5QtxBoy8YlY5A00tfSifzIdui8ICVSzoD20AcrdVRsU8f-jYtHQhiW45dVY6P48_X8cBhEZP65oyd4WQwt7r1nDZsmf70qsiA_1Li4PlA2-qENxv/s1600/highline+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2i0ocNYawmVaUzme1ecsxsBN-FTi5QtxBoy8YlY5A00tfSifzIdui8ICVSzoD20AcrdVRsU8f-jYtHQhiW45dVY6P48_X8cBhEZP65oyd4WQwt7r1nDZsmf70qsiA_1Li4PlA2-qENxv/s640/highline+1.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Union Square Green Market</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span></strong><a href="http://urbanspacenyc.com/union-square-holiday-market/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Holiday Shops</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Union Square</span></strong></div><br />
I have been to the Union Square Green Market before, but it was nice to come back again to roam around and sample various items. Because of the holidays, the Union Square Holiday Shops were also open, right next doors. First off, the Green Market:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKKHn6n8XuWH-oQhtR7J89zjia_AtQ7mYI-W9GdKsAMKJKAaMtMBzUUjQ5aqn7OSS-Lkmnf8FiOd7v_15A1on5_G3rIxU37Lu2b0PM425STu-umpT19P9daNgUH6Zvy_zMMvazhVhyphenhyphen039/s1600/union+sq+market+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKKHn6n8XuWH-oQhtR7J89zjia_AtQ7mYI-W9GdKsAMKJKAaMtMBzUUjQ5aqn7OSS-Lkmnf8FiOd7v_15A1on5_G3rIxU37Lu2b0PM425STu-umpT19P9daNgUH6Zvy_zMMvazhVhyphenhyphen039/s640/union+sq+market+1.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">So much produce, unique plants, and fragrant flowers! They were also selling beautiful fresh holiday wreaths. I would of bought one if I lived there!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN29c6UEgRlzlfd33QfBeJBS66ZcwCcuPTVi5Qi7AmAGmUursjn6b9jZpvfWv3piaVl4YfkLmfS5-g2sl5w5SLk5PoY2wHa-b8TxmQKul5OUiT1cc1DX1A3POPlSGeAGjbLMcEKjXkon61/s1600/union+sq+market+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN29c6UEgRlzlfd33QfBeJBS66ZcwCcuPTVi5Qi7AmAGmUursjn6b9jZpvfWv3piaVl4YfkLmfS5-g2sl5w5SLk5PoY2wHa-b8TxmQKul5OUiT1cc1DX1A3POPlSGeAGjbLMcEKjXkon61/s640/union+sq+market+2.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A couple of goodies we picked up - apple cider doughnuts and pretzels. </div><br />
Then on to the shops. The Holiday Shops was an overwhelming gathering of local stores in New York, selling anything and everything. We saw cool artists' paintings and pictures, creative T-shirts, and super cute animal beenies. Of course, there were edible items mixed in, from Belgian waffles, to macarons, and spices, olive oils, and salts. My favorite purchase was the black truffle salt from <a href="http://www.tfsnyc.com/">The Filling Station</a> (the main store is actually inside of Chelsea Market). Ever since I've had the truffle salt in my posession, I think of every occassion to get a little bit of the delicious truffle salt on my food!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYk2zgvU6PyGEmFtVafCyC-5dJ_32Ed6srTSlTwHGZzjg_ZnWjp_t9frq8njQGFKPy-DR7QFxKL8JDyuZIekjKSFBhvZYM_6FeGS-sB5bnZca0QpbUSGScF_NEkZIGveCok0oKxt_vxIZ/s1600/union+sq+market+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYk2zgvU6PyGEmFtVafCyC-5dJ_32Ed6srTSlTwHGZzjg_ZnWjp_t9frq8njQGFKPy-DR7QFxKL8JDyuZIekjKSFBhvZYM_6FeGS-sB5bnZca0QpbUSGScF_NEkZIGveCok0oKxt_vxIZ/s640/union+sq+market+3.jpg" width="640px" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span> </div>Salted Caramel, Nutella, and Pistachio macarons from <a href="http://www.macaronparlour.com/shop">Macaron Parlour</a>. Belgian waffles from <a href="http://www.wafelsanddinges.com/index.html">Wafels & Dinges</a> (I really wanted to try this but was so stuffed from lunch!). Tahitian vanilla ice cream from <a href="http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/">Coolhaus</a> (pictures of the truck to the left). Black truffle salt from <a href="http://www.tfsnyc.com/">The Fililng Station</a>.ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-34295039298227882312011-12-15T16:13:00.000-08:002011-12-20T11:22:46.420-08:00Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Markets Are Like The New MallsSpecialized markets are my new favorite places to go. It used to be a chore to go to a market to pick up food, but with food becoming a new "fashion trend", markets with gourmet foods, local and organic produce, and items that are just one of a kind have become quite popular and hip! We visited several markets during our New York trip. It was <strong>fantastic</strong>! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://eatalyny.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Eataly</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Flatiron</span></strong><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Eataly (sounds like Italy) is a grand Italian market where you can shop for remarkable gourmet items and fill your empty stomach with the same delicious foods, all in one trip! Their motto: <em>We Sell What We Cook And We Cook What We Sell</em>. The market it divided into different sections, from sweets such as gelato and pastries, to breads, to pasta, to cooked and roasted meats, to vegetables, to seafood, to cheese and deli meats, and also fresh fruits and vegetables. Whatever your Italian-craving heart desired, Eataly had it. I was quite overwhelmed and circled the market 10 times before I can decide what I wanted to buy and eat. I thank the hubby for being a patient person. Heh.</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqqoSuFWvJwTZrj1fg2lb1bAE-sCbMjb_xNsKLdM-lyr7cLyGUGJDhsRxmgjKac3udJj9KTRr_fGg_vpfiYVANo6PFT6wXxgnpKKMLkWPN52fbtEhxcgc4gb1sVpdMTli6c3HKWnsJaxa/s1600/eataly+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqqoSuFWvJwTZrj1fg2lb1bAE-sCbMjb_xNsKLdM-lyr7cLyGUGJDhsRxmgjKac3udJj9KTRr_fGg_vpfiYVANo6PFT6wXxgnpKKMLkWPN52fbtEhxcgc4gb1sVpdMTli6c3HKWnsJaxa/s640/eataly+5.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span> Fresh breads, gelato counter and sign, outside of Eataly (you can enter from 4-5 different entrances), focaccia, more breads, the Vegetarian section, and packaged breadsticks in the pasta section.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsavvI4_5roY2P0HxkV3WJEZIPDYTxU_SsfOLdcKjs3Ya1Yekm0XElNS7o1kZ9NgsRWnIMAi-iA4CMiIqf2gxYZwlh9-475E4G2VzV2kJDnoze6oVHEpwcrXi80kBdzji8wc3OiTAK-XTw/s1600/eataly+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsavvI4_5roY2P0HxkV3WJEZIPDYTxU_SsfOLdcKjs3Ya1Yekm0XElNS7o1kZ9NgsRWnIMAi-iA4CMiIqf2gxYZwlh9-475E4G2VzV2kJDnoze6oVHEpwcrXi80kBdzji8wc3OiTAK-XTw/s640/eataly+4.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div>Of course, we had to sample some food here. After 3 full days of eating breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, dessert, and more snacks, we opted to go for something light on our last day in NY. The <strong>I Salumi, I Formaggi</strong> section caught my eye. We picked the Grande Piatto Misto Di Salume & Formaggi from the menu, which was an assortment of their best meats and cheeses. The lemon soda was for me (a great choice)!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_0099riVoMVYL4BS3xZqAFbxTYGIS-UxqzCcEUWNOcjPtC108Q1qhlLZ1V2PspFFmgSYDEdnzw_LxDscWROuNq7frzQfprtDmRu1KWKDPk7jkD45-IAHPJ4qCSyOPFGEnJKEly3eN8Uc/s1600/eataly+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_0099riVoMVYL4BS3xZqAFbxTYGIS-UxqzCcEUWNOcjPtC108Q1qhlLZ1V2PspFFmgSYDEdnzw_LxDscWROuNq7frzQfprtDmRu1KWKDPk7jkD45-IAHPJ4qCSyOPFGEnJKEly3eN8Uc/s640/eataly+1.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div>Forgetful me, I didn't ask the waiter what these meats and cheeses were so I can't describe it to you here. All of the meats were delicious, and I really liked the blue cheese (very left) and the medium-soft cheese right next to it. The other cheeses were either too hard or didn't have a distinct taste. Now, the most amazing thing on this plate were not the meats or cheeses, but it was the almond honey (shown on white plate). Oh my lord. It was the most delicious sweet honey I've ever put in my mouth! I gasped and smiled immediately. I did ask the waiter about the almond honey, hoping they would sell it, and they did! But then he laid on the bad news that because it was freshly made everyday, they were placed in the refrigerator. It needed to be refrigerated 2 hours after purchase, which was impossible for us as the flight alone from NY to SF was 6+ hours. Damn. I left without that amazing honey. The other two items on the plate were candied orange peels and figs. The platter also came with 4 slices of fresh bread.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkyI7ynowXQLJ_NDLvSgrbBMcb1qBIpEIXZiqhdkuhoSuaAWpIjWqxnbxXT0iuJV7JlGipDkq68qXZ0a2vLinTs9l0AfF7OAr4-IFA-rBpPaW4HLejoXYfdpkStrpUsv6f8g3PihEjUu2/s1600/eataly_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkyI7ynowXQLJ_NDLvSgrbBMcb1qBIpEIXZiqhdkuhoSuaAWpIjWqxnbxXT0iuJV7JlGipDkq68qXZ0a2vLinTs9l0AfF7OAr4-IFA-rBpPaW4HLejoXYfdpkStrpUsv6f8g3PihEjUu2/s640/eataly_3.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div>The I Salumi, I Formaggi section. I wish I had the time and money to sample all of these!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2og-WWJmMai7rfYu6rGqqNc4IdjFp9OO1HtlawVWp3XOTpVHozkHq4EmRXpu2oLXT85D68dKZDouIB0gbo3YFwQ85omQIQGTnAYyQGZLplaMZn1HQ-KqBOiF4nHJW2YbABRxkAT_6vQr/s1600/eataly+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2og-WWJmMai7rfYu6rGqqNc4IdjFp9OO1HtlawVWp3XOTpVHozkHq4EmRXpu2oLXT85D68dKZDouIB0gbo3YFwQ85omQIQGTnAYyQGZLplaMZn1HQ-KqBOiF4nHJW2YbABRxkAT_6vQr/s640/eataly+2.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div>Dessert... a must in my book. After looking at all the different choices at the counter, this triple chocolate mousse cake caught my eye. It was delicate and the perfect portion for our light lunch. Also, it wasn't overly sweet, which is a big thumbs up for me!<br />
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This place was <strong>glorious</strong>! I think this is what I would want my heaven to be like.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.brooklynflea.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Brooklyn Flea</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Brooklyn</span></strong><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">On this trip, we decided to venture outside of Manhattan to see other cities in New York. It was our first time to Brooklyn. We hit up a famous pizzeria for lunch (details to come in a later post) and stopped by this flea market afterwards. Although this market sold mostly inedible things (I know, oh darn!), they had a small area for local foods.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07XvXqrDGuvMQDtwf7agzwdaTeV-FIb6p2aSfqcuwsax7EYpL_pKSzA56gM1yIky6MAvJZv4kjS5MKPTT1PRHDq6IqWunl3t0V5HoxrwuyV4-mLkV-1pmvcpnxQ7Awb36yBHjOacO7049/s1600/brooklyn+flea+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07XvXqrDGuvMQDtwf7agzwdaTeV-FIb6p2aSfqcuwsax7EYpL_pKSzA56gM1yIky6MAvJZv4kjS5MKPTT1PRHDq6IqWunl3t0V5HoxrwuyV4-mLkV-1pmvcpnxQ7Awb36yBHjOacO7049/s640/brooklyn+flea+2.jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>During the winter time, the flea market is held inside this empty, old-school bank. The architecture was amazing, as you can see!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjKiLEt35_tKZ7n8MuLwmEKmENFsxmTjrO58ncG32e0uM5xOvBN8A5izG8QYIzmZQ16TqZIGbAlpAT6j-0rv81xYdE1mQgv1TH1lztPY0dfKU1M4rpt2dqGXxoWym_J-58RMQwcHqlMyX/s1600/brooklyn+flea+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjKiLEt35_tKZ7n8MuLwmEKmENFsxmTjrO58ncG32e0uM5xOvBN8A5izG8QYIzmZQ16TqZIGbAlpAT6j-0rv81xYdE1mQgv1TH1lztPY0dfKU1M4rpt2dqGXxoWym_J-58RMQwcHqlMyX/s640/brooklyn+flea+1.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div>Lots of different unique things on sale. I took a picture of these mirrors because, as explained by my friend, the frames were from old window frames of abandoned buildings. Prior to demolishing old buildings, the frames would be salvaged and made into mirrors. So cool! I also bought an Apple Ginger Lemonade (top right) from <a href="http://thestandny.com/">The Stand</a> to quench my thirst. Hmm hmm!<br />
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More markets to come!ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-87116274806070694622011-12-04T13:31:00.000-08:002011-12-20T11:20:11.720-08:00Just Pictures (New York City Edition): DinnertimeWe went to two amazing restaurants for dinner during our stay in New York. On Sunday night, we put on our nice clothes and headed to Tom Colicchio's new restaurant in Midtown called Riverpark. The next night, we met up with my old college roommate for a Japanese-Italian fusion meal at Basta Pasta.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://riverparknyc.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Riverpark</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Midtown East</span></strong></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmNT4PitZ1ePrbTVP3BZPTQOkIspziC9oPxUyJvmW5HRGuZAj0-e-vj0PVCegQuR5ew2RAhyphenhyphenEct-eH5Z3nMPvSPCdIqKEQa2wIOBRiuUOnlSPmr1yekboFotKptNnO86aQiEM1u7Curpe/s1600/page+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYmNT4PitZ1ePrbTVP3BZPTQOkIspziC9oPxUyJvmW5HRGuZAj0-e-vj0PVCegQuR5ew2RAhyphenhyphenEct-eH5Z3nMPvSPCdIqKEQa2wIOBRiuUOnlSPmr1yekboFotKptNnO86aQiEM1u7Curpe/s640/page+2.jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
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Riverpark is situated within Alexandria Center, a life sciences building in Midtown and right next to the East River. It was an interesting walk to the restaurant as we roamed through many new and modern-looking buildings on our way. Right outside of the restaurant sits a grand vegetable garden for Riverpark. I love the fact that fresh vegetables and herbs are just a few steps away from the restaurant, at their ease for use. Since it's wintertime, most of the garden was covered up in plastic tarp, keeping the vegetables in greenhouses and safe from the cold wintery weather of New York. Our waiter explained that it's their first winter encounter this year so they are hoping the protection will work. Just a small row of the garden was open with few items growing. I'm not sure what was growing since we were too far away to identify any of them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQx3x1T75ZX4hD8MAPBoUfiTVDMEZMlxxP-VrjSAilR1KhFi3jU8bxEgqJOQAzi_IeJFfGUAzytHdVQ35Hq3PHi5aqmvgvsqAO30_e30kly0JB2oorcR55K0fVh2MOMruykrKAFb7JWiX/s1600/IMG_0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQx3x1T75ZX4hD8MAPBoUfiTVDMEZMlxxP-VrjSAilR1KhFi3jU8bxEgqJOQAzi_IeJFfGUAzytHdVQ35Hq3PHi5aqmvgvsqAO30_e30kly0JB2oorcR55K0fVh2MOMruykrKAFb7JWiX/s640/IMG_0140.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXftrjReoASaRitWJMz10ir_W5z1u1CnOcg9VqNSl_Vf7aM2i5sA5e6jN_K7UIuv98aKRl3Y7XUi8xNc88pNvpkYG4ul9U_VdxgLVOjJLYkFjjhSAqJKKmobAbLaStil6MuMFZsgU3Ayq/s1600/page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXftrjReoASaRitWJMz10ir_W5z1u1CnOcg9VqNSl_Vf7aM2i5sA5e6jN_K7UIuv98aKRl3Y7XUi8xNc88pNvpkYG4ul9U_VdxgLVOjJLYkFjjhSAqJKKmobAbLaStil6MuMFZsgU3Ayq/s640/page.jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bee's Knees - vanilla honey, lime, soda</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Concoction from Brooklyn Brewery</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Roots - beet-infused vodka, ginger, citrus, basil </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFLBMIOxG2EpyEqKOFqzFl7uzBxjFzHrZj8DImdN2bznwSz1FvYHDEdKI0rXGhs9KdDDb0vvQC90PXThHgyL6AOLjwnv9pkfMV_Bhi_TYDgllBdsX0Hq3yRqgMN8W9afzN1Za982IljJl/s1600/IMG_0154-vert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFLBMIOxG2EpyEqKOFqzFl7uzBxjFzHrZj8DImdN2bznwSz1FvYHDEdKI0rXGhs9KdDDb0vvQC90PXThHgyL6AOLjwnv9pkfMV_Bhi_TYDgllBdsX0Hq3yRqgMN8W9afzN1Za982IljJl/s640/IMG_0154-vert.jpg" width="480px" /></a></div><strong>Mushroom Consomme</strong> - mushroom salad, frisee, pecorino crouton, caramelized shallots. The pecorino crouton was a great surprise under the mountain of mushrooms and frisee. The broth was poured into the plate and was very tasty. We even used our tableside bread to soak up all of the delicious broth.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHGWOiEGw4gy24ljH8L1beSae-fOUkOEyUGEew3u7JDJV1n72JujNsTHl6Azb3kQdsT_ewftGStiOT9nWzBAHpFbKq5_IGHLpSbF5ZZJdlKpvW4IHsjd5GbrOiQk6gueyerVK-sJf8MoB/s1600/IMG_0169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHGWOiEGw4gy24ljH8L1beSae-fOUkOEyUGEew3u7JDJV1n72JujNsTHl6Azb3kQdsT_ewftGStiOT9nWzBAHpFbKq5_IGHLpSbF5ZZJdlKpvW4IHsjd5GbrOiQk6gueyerVK-sJf8MoB/s640/IMG_0169.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><strong>Roasted Leg of Lamb</strong> - swiss chard, pinenuts, capers, raisins, eggplant, oregano. Incredibly well-cooked lamb (not a hint of gaminess at all!) and various flavorful vegetables. This was my entree and it was a great choice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV7zCJnuw2tIzsGaSPbUZNL1Y_1oA2JVgrPZgswJ9oJwhyphenhyphenyAna8xOu4faUi52yq03wCExYpdBDnpcfK3H5hB2oJNsuVNMR2xn30Tkr8yJitVKs0cLbgQgpszf-1LyamX7ScNQNGroiNUU/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV7zCJnuw2tIzsGaSPbUZNL1Y_1oA2JVgrPZgswJ9oJwhyphenhyphenyAna8xOu4faUi52yq03wCExYpdBDnpcfK3H5hB2oJNsuVNMR2xn30Tkr8yJitVKs0cLbgQgpszf-1LyamX7ScNQNGroiNUU/s640/IMG_0166.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Basil Ricotta Ravioli</strong> - Pumpkin pesto, delicata squash, spiced pumpkin seeds. Buttery ravioli in a pumpkin-spiced sauce. My friend ordered this and cleaned the plate, stating that she wished there were more!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqAygRc1yEWtpqtu6v8kWIUZoGTuI0aPbmZtzleV3Si_pkTGMNyPWHl8HVXKfnCydxVQMvM-xecLpeyAotbGojJLXTpsZoOXrHS2PE-yiiXU95jDYsKdekuUTfi3KcJdN6hcswzddb5eV/s1600/IMG_0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqAygRc1yEWtpqtu6v8kWIUZoGTuI0aPbmZtzleV3Si_pkTGMNyPWHl8HVXKfnCydxVQMvM-xecLpeyAotbGojJLXTpsZoOXrHS2PE-yiiXU95jDYsKdekuUTfi3KcJdN6hcswzddb5eV/s640/IMG_0167.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Grilled Flatiron Steak</strong> - Braised brisket, broccoli, form smashed potatoes, balsamic glazed cippolinis. Doesn't this entree look like a grand forest? So pretty! The entree contains a few slices of flatiron steak and a big chunk of braised brisket, with a caramelized sweet and salty shell on top. The hubby ordered this and he loved all of it. Another clean plate!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJVZFKl1ydaJTocTqTM-Ic96DHPKuh2NQOME_Um-w8xd_b2QFMU8WzV2fJIZv0x65MXYpz3hrZXfkyKqsdbcdDoFwsfoZUnJnkznXH8c2DvL3Mrzaz6L_1KoxAyGmc9YAt2GVlK7er_9f/s1600/IMG_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJVZFKl1ydaJTocTqTM-Ic96DHPKuh2NQOME_Um-w8xd_b2QFMU8WzV2fJIZv0x65MXYpz3hrZXfkyKqsdbcdDoFwsfoZUnJnkznXH8c2DvL3Mrzaz6L_1KoxAyGmc9YAt2GVlK7er_9f/s640/IMG_0161.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>10 oz. Berkshire Pork Chop</strong> - brussels sprout-apple hash, parsnip puree. I swear, I've never tasted a more tender pork chop than this one! Interestingly, the waiter asked my friend how he would like the meat cooked and he stated medium. I've never heard of that asked for a pork chop. The pork was grilled to perfection. The meat was pretty much cooked through but not long enough to make it tough. I guess cooking it medium is a good choice for pork chops.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72iMteSljAvZgflAylkF2usqn48LK-Cs4p3Sc5w8IXRNhUAlD7e-4RObTnlhcz24lN6mg9-EnIckfGxCShH4x00Y_Uw21AEyEMjZ2DS6pUQMnNBlTy8DZhcNZoQZgb-4YMJAGMUNoC16_/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72iMteSljAvZgflAylkF2usqn48LK-Cs4p3Sc5w8IXRNhUAlD7e-4RObTnlhcz24lN6mg9-EnIckfGxCShH4x00Y_Uw21AEyEMjZ2DS6pUQMnNBlTy8DZhcNZoQZgb-4YMJAGMUNoC16_/s640/IMG_0174.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div>Trio of <strong>hazelnut</strong> ice cream, <strong>Concord grape</strong> sorbet, and <strong>pear</strong> sorbet with biscuits. Three words: yum, yum, and yum! <br />
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The restaurant was sleek and chic, setting a great mood for a double date on a Sunday night. All of the food was fantastic and the service was wonderful. Mr. Colicchio did not disappoint!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bastapastanyc.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Basta Pasta</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Flatiron</span></strong></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobPX0TpQM9EE61nFCzmUk7u9wzdOnedohVij2e2NOJ8hRe8kJmU0ZiUn_2rYT0MFXng9xakQ1xTpE6L_Qj0YZ8zOBommMx8ZdTvr-tbi0ysdw1La8-hVcRkmkeb-9aIFWhJZVAQOyKkPQ/s1600/page+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobPX0TpQM9EE61nFCzmUk7u9wzdOnedohVij2e2NOJ8hRe8kJmU0ZiUn_2rYT0MFXng9xakQ1xTpE6L_Qj0YZ8zOBommMx8ZdTvr-tbi0ysdw1La8-hVcRkmkeb-9aIFWhJZVAQOyKkPQ/s640/page+4.jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise) </span></div>Lots of different breads to eat. The sliced bread with gorgonzola cheese spread was brought out first and was a great start to the meal. The cheesy breadsticks were the best out of the entire selection. <strong>Cartoccio di Funghi Misti</strong> - oyster king, enoki, and cremini mushrooms baked inside sealed cooking paper with thyme, garlic, and olive oil. <strong>Insalata Mista</strong> - young Boston lettuce and mesclun salad with tarragon balsamic dressing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRQUCT0L771M1ePjWZ8PUnbBQiUPzgVqq9F5BJs7TbkCLl56YHKDhXmuK7aydEFDDbiAqr17yKc7w-YmsoJ3jH9Xoo0Pg4IE7-UzbSlkriWxsK2mUUYnYyxCokUXAoAf09ciQV9BpBK94/s1600/IMG_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXRQUCT0L771M1ePjWZ8PUnbBQiUPzgVqq9F5BJs7TbkCLl56YHKDhXmuK7aydEFDDbiAqr17yKc7w-YmsoJ3jH9Xoo0Pg4IE7-UzbSlkriWxsK2mUUYnYyxCokUXAoAf09ciQV9BpBK94/s640/IMG_0504.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Pappardelle alla Siciliana</strong> - homemade pappardelle with eggplant, basil, and fresh tomatoes in tapenade. I actually didn't get to taste this dish, but I'd imagine that it was pretty darn good!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJK7bEhdmtSbs-w7t3uQWPPvwDYIsPkd28rMS0nKm8LCeM3UBN1iXgCnWNHo8Y1U3_Cv77nFh6Mem9HRH-XX93FAmMJBR9jjYGaXrgab1g1S0G9xQ3NJ5obXFEgISbtd6waU1QoicVGB_/s1600/IMG_0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJK7bEhdmtSbs-w7t3uQWPPvwDYIsPkd28rMS0nKm8LCeM3UBN1iXgCnWNHo8Y1U3_Cv77nFh6Mem9HRH-XX93FAmMJBR9jjYGaXrgab1g1S0G9xQ3NJ5obXFEgISbtd6waU1QoicVGB_/s640/IMG_0502.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Risotto con Gamberi e Funghi</strong> - risotto with shrimp and 3 kinds of mushrooms. I also didn't get to taste this dish but risotto and mushrooms? Great combination!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_9Q_PduhM7P1k0x6csINpHprq6hGtYeyKDTlSf9tQzdRx6uRgI07MDced-kdQncXMWkirQREMaZ5jvp_5rsG91suGP8-CUEq1lxQUHydDs4CySECJv5U07bRLhYSs1Rz3BBSqxlS0Szk/s1600/IMG_0503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_9Q_PduhM7P1k0x6csINpHprq6hGtYeyKDTlSf9tQzdRx6uRgI07MDced-kdQncXMWkirQREMaZ5jvp_5rsG91suGP8-CUEq1lxQUHydDs4CySECJv5U07bRLhYSs1Rz3BBSqxlS0Szk/s640/IMG_0503.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Fettuccine</strong> with shrimp, bacon, and fresh tomatoes in creamy sauce (special of the day). Al dente fettuccine with fresh shrimp and really tasty creamy sauce. Delicious!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lzdSk3ATh695DLGqMb-i74erbmlf5A2GDXPZQDl5ynesEG9mkl0R5H16k1A9FnMx_3KBAi9r5roCV8XZCP_GzcgYY1MPV4LA5gfcrzfi5KZNJ1-VBDSdLrsFgwlHsKFAx-mXLSM6Qoa2/s1600/page+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lzdSk3ATh695DLGqMb-i74erbmlf5A2GDXPZQDl5ynesEG9mkl0R5H16k1A9FnMx_3KBAi9r5roCV8XZCP_GzcgYY1MPV4LA5gfcrzfi5KZNJ1-VBDSdLrsFgwlHsKFAx-mXLSM6Qoa2/s640/page+3.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RB_z_smXx9BOtpJ20RGVjn-pcq-sL4IgLd1q6wV9dvecv76de2MaPOtUiSDqRJPRXyoOKJsBZj4g1MXU791iWEYyMpehfqis0oCRtQ7rU-ylwjI-dCHAwtFVwPXKlj3ylqfMLtBsJ0Ea/s1600/IMG_0500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RB_z_smXx9BOtpJ20RGVjn-pcq-sL4IgLd1q6wV9dvecv76de2MaPOtUiSDqRJPRXyoOKJsBZj4g1MXU791iWEYyMpehfqis0oCRtQ7rU-ylwjI-dCHAwtFVwPXKlj3ylqfMLtBsJ0Ea/s640/IMG_0500.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Spaghetti con Prosciutto e Parmigiano</strong> - spaghetti with parmigiano reggiano and pharma prosciutto, served in a half wheel of parmesan cheese at the table. The only reason I wanted to come to the restaurant was because of this cheese wheel. How it works: cooked spaghetti is placed in the cheese wheel and parmesan cheese are scraped from the sides. Parmesan and spaghetti are mixed together for a few minutes and taken out of the wheel. Slices of prosciutto and chopped basil are placed on top. <strong>SO GOOD</strong>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADBLWCDQz-jIi67bvTJvJ9uhftympiRAH8quCpzHlslMvfiTWLpMWxQ_RUS7bd_0TxeKrb7Rlw_Gvffpx2YnzyXnmz3Lx7NDDjSgwX5KQB0xRojQn7y0st8L4Vd_ZAtls0AQ_j0zFWlVl/s1600/page+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADBLWCDQz-jIi67bvTJvJ9uhftympiRAH8quCpzHlslMvfiTWLpMWxQ_RUS7bd_0TxeKrb7Rlw_Gvffpx2YnzyXnmz3Lx7NDDjSgwX5KQB0xRojQn7y0st8L4Vd_ZAtls0AQ_j0zFWlVl/s640/page+5.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The one cool thing about this restaurant is that the kitchen is open and right in the middle of the restaurant. You can smell and see everything that is cooking. The refrigerator is also right out in the open and part of the decor. We all loved the food!</div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-48894419206437326412011-12-02T12:21:00.000-08:002011-12-20T11:21:15.414-08:00Just Pictures (New York City Edition): Sweets, My Favorite Meal Of The DayThis past Tuesday, the husband and I came back from a whirlwind trip to New York City. Typically when we visit our friends in New York, each day is planned to the fullest with things to do from morning until late at night. And why not? There is just so much to explore in this great big city and maximizing our time is the best way. We can save sleep for later. However, this time around, we wanted a more relaxed visit of just stopping by a few places and, of course, eating at some must-hit spots. Although the itinerary was "lighter" this time, we were still defeated every single day from roaming around New York City! Our legs and feet were sore, bodies exhausted and fatigued, and too full at all times that I don't remember ever feeling hungry in the 4 days we were in New York. Well, actually, the last point might be a good thing! <br />
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Since we ate so much on our trip, I am putting the places we visited into categories and blogging them in separate posts. Let's start out with my favorite thing to eat: sweets!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://biggayicecream.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Big Gay Ice Cream Shop</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // East Village</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfN-qJCIiqBpZ-EQhLoQM3_cdumRFblyLSMCmpxApYI3FloDbYcDfaH94WWdqV5GAnnjiv0HDXOMHGBupE1rKIhfRJN42UNwoSYkfV8kIsGAMuIKvpUaHXu_u1E4HkfEiCePrtgY3oCwi/s1600/big+gay+combo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUfN-qJCIiqBpZ-EQhLoQM3_cdumRFblyLSMCmpxApYI3FloDbYcDfaH94WWdqV5GAnnjiv0HDXOMHGBupE1rKIhfRJN42UNwoSYkfV8kIsGAMuIKvpUaHXu_u1E4HkfEiCePrtgY3oCwi/s640/big+gay+combo.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
I saw this place on the Food Network channel many months ago and made a mental note to myself that I will need to visit next time in New York. I actually completely forgot about it until my friend mentioned the Salty Pimp and eating one for her on this trip. Not to fail my fellow foodie friend, that's exactly what I did!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUqRqmQ14ub8T7fS_OqJLeBS3dhsmxHpXv9XNqLr18_CklUmG8Vo3tGzuuYgQd4BSglwI3gYIkmZ01vfKpurZv4aJUwSB2V_A1jEQy5C7F9a1cDhmXRz8WoF_HSfMo91IvVzRDs0KVkQv/s1600/IMG_0531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUqRqmQ14ub8T7fS_OqJLeBS3dhsmxHpXv9XNqLr18_CklUmG8Vo3tGzuuYgQd4BSglwI3gYIkmZ01vfKpurZv4aJUwSB2V_A1jEQy5C7F9a1cDhmXRz8WoF_HSfMo91IvVzRDs0KVkQv/s640/IMG_0531.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Salty Pimp</strong> - vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, sea salt, chocolate dip. The ice cream was rich and creamy, and every time you bite into it, you are hit with the sweet chocolate shell and dulce de leche first, and then a salty aftertaste. It was quite delicious, don't get me wrong, but probably because of my inability to eat anymore on this day (I had a snack before dinner, then shared two appetizers and ate an entire pasta dish by myself) that it became too rich for me. Regardless, I still ate it all. Heh.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZg6aEcD-7qWPtyofz7Og-oKlOjSFZsEJULOYoI4TfcQKyWAPMjI5t4piS2rBW_g9F-38X6X1kHglA7MLR6VFO0E4jFvTw8uxktgddMSA5DnERS6WwqMz6UKZg8qZ8E3URT8kh0NFbjqN/s1600/IMG_0535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZg6aEcD-7qWPtyofz7Og-oKlOjSFZsEJULOYoI4TfcQKyWAPMjI5t4piS2rBW_g9F-38X6X1kHglA7MLR6VFO0E4jFvTw8uxktgddMSA5DnERS6WwqMz6UKZg8qZ8E3URT8kh0NFbjqN/s640/IMG_0535.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Mermaid</strong> - vanilla ice cream, key lime curd, crushed graham crackers, whipped cream. The sourness of the key lime curd was a great balance with the creamy vanilla ice cream, and the graham crackers provided a refreshing crunch to the combination. This was good!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.doughnutplant.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Doughnut Plant</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Lower East Side or Chelsea</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFofrUiqAdded9FjhXhKfVVujkq31BDF_PrbxQrDSgyT81NR34_6yZTFE_ADJ0GhVpSaZr5XhmLPN6axH-XGee0B664Q-h7uAeMM23s32I-eYmSDrBtsmf9p0eCvkrVEEnBc7MVZAOBsL/s1600/doughnut+combo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFofrUiqAdded9FjhXhKfVVujkq31BDF_PrbxQrDSgyT81NR34_6yZTFE_ADJ0GhVpSaZr5XhmLPN6axH-XGee0B664Q-h7uAeMM23s32I-eYmSDrBtsmf9p0eCvkrVEEnBc7MVZAOBsL/s640/doughnut+combo+1.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5keOK_0p8RAoGqXPfS9OBC-0QKurh-Tv1UsRoDF8pj9_RIDucq0eIvM4EVM_3kl7w84LUVw7gHT5rPUXxvlWdvEH4BCSnuXNzorK4pdaHvm7Y_oL2e0UnLeXqUFXRovAFRG2HoeDVveX/s1600/doughnut+combo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb5keOK_0p8RAoGqXPfS9OBC-0QKurh-Tv1UsRoDF8pj9_RIDucq0eIvM4EVM_3kl7w84LUVw7gHT5rPUXxvlWdvEH4BCSnuXNzorK4pdaHvm7Y_oL2e0UnLeXqUFXRovAFRG2HoeDVveX/s640/doughnut+combo+2.jpg" width="640px" /></a><br />
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Unique doughnuts. I was excited to try this place and did not regret any calories from these creative and delicious doughnuts. They make two types of doughnuts - yeast and cake. The yeast doughnut is what you would typically imagine a doughnut to be - puffy, fried doughy goodness. The cake doughnut is more dense and cake-like (hah). The cake doughnuts here were moist and soft.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn5_N15V9NhlRbof_FLt29dsHZ3Dwpl-dkxnVDb1YPSwLvmd5APDIaiBeZDD8PIMeA5FZVnzRDGGgqtlqc4Dh-CK6SvSvBZc3QaYR3NRf9YOgx-dywDLgsx8gYxtOiYJCKVvRuM31ZDbL/s1600/doughnut+combo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="640px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn5_N15V9NhlRbof_FLt29dsHZ3Dwpl-dkxnVDb1YPSwLvmd5APDIaiBeZDD8PIMeA5FZVnzRDGGgqtlqc4Dh-CK6SvSvBZc3QaYR3NRf9YOgx-dywDLgsx8gYxtOiYJCKVvRuM31ZDbL/s640/doughnut+combo+3.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">(From left to right, clockwise)</span> <br />
Peanut Butter and Jelly (filled with jelly)<br />
Valrhona Chocolate<br />
Gingerbread (cake)<br />
Peanut Butter and Banana (filled with peanut butter custard)<br />
Creme Brulee (filled with custard)</div><br />
We made a second trip to the Chelsea location on our last day and bought a few more: Cranberry,<br />
Coconut Glazed with Blueberry Jam, Vanilla Bean Glazed, Tres Leche, and Matcha Green Tea (no pictures though). <br />
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After listing all of these, I am realizing we ate too many doughnuts on this trip...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ladymconfections.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Lady M Cake Boutique</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // Upper East Side</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BZeBDo1Vbsj-Dkb2cXZrb_wntckO8wBIVJh5ZXKDew-pXbS7-hoklhmTwPiPafYGIm_VciuYqwSLL_ZeBDCAXcJD6KnGBLKYhk-j_ON0KA2FkpmSgUVn2m9j2-wQEF7n7MuZhSoPX8jE/s1600/IMG_0449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_BZeBDo1Vbsj-Dkb2cXZrb_wntckO8wBIVJh5ZXKDew-pXbS7-hoklhmTwPiPafYGIm_VciuYqwSLL_ZeBDCAXcJD6KnGBLKYhk-j_ON0KA2FkpmSgUVn2m9j2-wQEF7n7MuZhSoPX8jE/s640/IMG_0449.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Lady M Mille Crepe Cake</strong> - 20 layers of crepe with light custard cream in between. This cake was <strong>DIVINE</strong>. I am still dreaming about it...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmFfePD4m4YRvc7yASvebtsRS2dVIClW6ZdCzbf8t_b0PPku87iZQRpquWYqd50IxE5JNG51x3yAcJwGwpNpwwjvecfkBSSIxd9ovqn-FW3OP4KRZ7esxFfaqJXZ3V8pG_cG8CNn7TPH5/s1600/IMG_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmFfePD4m4YRvc7yASvebtsRS2dVIClW6ZdCzbf8t_b0PPku87iZQRpquWYqd50IxE5JNG51x3yAcJwGwpNpwwjvecfkBSSIxd9ovqn-FW3OP4KRZ7esxFfaqJXZ3V8pG_cG8CNn7TPH5/s640/IMG_0447.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Strawberry Mille Feuille</strong> - Thin puff pastry surrounding light sponge cake with custard cream and fresh strawberries in between. Light and refreshing.<br />
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I now know why they are a cake boutique... all of their cakes are prepared with the best ingredients and carefully assembled and decorated. Simply exquisite.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-A3_ZfnCqwMx6SZOag2TI_dtXkvOlPa2wGt2jH5g3DajznZ96blQ_XkurxwziULSZsO4Mwev-hXbsTQYtkiHIhHhWq-_So3Y_jqpWarNqTz6KAoe3i_f19TgxrLM0wCJ6Gf5XKlbeRt-/s1600/IMG_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-A3_ZfnCqwMx6SZOag2TI_dtXkvOlPa2wGt2jH5g3DajznZ96blQ_XkurxwziULSZsO4Mwev-hXbsTQYtkiHIhHhWq-_So3Y_jqpWarNqTz6KAoe3i_f19TgxrLM0wCJ6Gf5XKlbeRt-/s640/IMG_0440.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.spotdessertbar.com/"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Spot Dessert Bar</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> // East Village</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvcs6yC8Vz0L4pNyMIYKA9J1lLZs47NB0qibiKIRHYnEemUXJhZhGZZjGeGtNNw5Cs6pNwaiiMYgejqItdV37FfCEQXdtKQpXkqUsg8d7pphpNuRlUA5YfGGZcHNKm2U5i-Mf9nUKnZDF/s1600/IMG_2627-horz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="238px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvcs6yC8Vz0L4pNyMIYKA9J1lLZs47NB0qibiKIRHYnEemUXJhZhGZZjGeGtNNw5Cs6pNwaiiMYgejqItdV37FfCEQXdtKQpXkqUsg8d7pphpNuRlUA5YfGGZcHNKm2U5i-Mf9nUKnZDF/s640/IMG_2627-horz.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
A couple of weeks before our trip, this dessert bar was featured on a local channel show that was on late at night. It was perfect timing!<br />
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Just a side note, please excuse the quality of the pictures from Spot... on the first day in New York, I forgot to bring my camera out with me and had to resort using my cell phone for picture-taking.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhwLxAUDKv-8NH1y0v7b4TPoZplaK88QHvqqc4Pnhc8bMYLDDG18cXMTx3zTU5vK82qgfpA5ifbewsrrLUQhHUjFrwfRfzsfDHYpyazhI4uSOu5PEtMkmF3j3iNJQ_iVLwW79Tx1plEgZ/s1600/IMG_2631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="478px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhwLxAUDKv-8NH1y0v7b4TPoZplaK88QHvqqc4Pnhc8bMYLDDG18cXMTx3zTU5vK82qgfpA5ifbewsrrLUQhHUjFrwfRfzsfDHYpyazhI4uSOu5PEtMkmF3j3iNJQ_iVLwW79Tx1plEgZ/s640/IMG_2631.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Thai Tea Creme Brulee</strong> - cream brulee and a side of a lighter version of thai tea, with simply syrup and cream. I thought this dessert was not sweet enough and was my least favorite.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqfiziHT7X-y_jOpSanfvto99_zBTaCGCxEdPIjeN-3NN-BGIgs5g1RRQHO9MROM1HeJwENTPz5rGpW9rqgWhwWtSEkCtSOiybfBTjnuZ7syiwZB4yAi3K1r2JHI6wgbo7qpgEJYoAvyR/s1600/IMG_2639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="478px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqfiziHT7X-y_jOpSanfvto99_zBTaCGCxEdPIjeN-3NN-BGIgs5g1RRQHO9MROM1HeJwENTPz5rGpW9rqgWhwWtSEkCtSOiybfBTjnuZ7syiwZB4yAi3K1r2JHI6wgbo7qpgEJYoAvyR/s640/IMG_2639.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Yuzu Eskimo Pie</strong> - yuzu (a citrus fruit that is kind of like a mix between a mandarin orange and a pomelo) ice cream with a oreo-like cookie crust, strawberries, raspberry foam, chocolate pearls, oreo soil, chocolate ganache. I did not expect yuzu to be that sour, but the yuzu ice cream gave me a little bit of a squirm upon the first bite. A fruity dessert!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjttCnN46nSNX8MwbkPZXial-GgU-1znwQWZ9oGCZyQ2KOo-oCLwjj748ootTJ4IJULT9smtc6-1_n6ohOIflKdv0nLUWlWmuRR8tIS82A7nHEDxhr5VoFqnDc7cH0RDC1keT5OSRfuoom/s1600/IMG_2649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="478px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjttCnN46nSNX8MwbkPZXial-GgU-1znwQWZ9oGCZyQ2KOo-oCLwjj748ootTJ4IJULT9smtc6-1_n6ohOIflKdv0nLUWlWmuRR8tIS82A7nHEDxhr5VoFqnDc7cH0RDC1keT5OSRfuoom/s640/IMG_2649.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><strong>Chocolate Green Tea Lava Cake with Green Tea Ice Cream</strong> - soft and moist chocolate cake with a green tea white chocolate filling. I don't remember much of the green tea filling because the rich chocolate cake overpowered it, but the green tea ice cream hit it "spot" on and the warm and icy combination was delicious. This was my favorite out of the three.ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4162939029125610554.post-82400440214145415292011-11-25T07:46:00.000-08:002011-11-25T07:46:01.775-08:00Just Pictures: Going Back For More LadureeMy dear friend from New York came back last month for our friend's wedding and she surprised me with one of the most wonderful things I have ever put in my mouth - macarons from <a href="http://www.laduree.fr/en/scene">Laduree</a>. It was fresh, decadant, and seriously one of the best macarons I have ever tasted! These soft and delicate cookies had just the right amount of sweetness and flavor to it that you did not want to stop eating because it was hurting your sweet tooth, and trust me, I've had that happen quite often before with other macarons. Laduree is a French-based company and they recently opened their first (and only, for now) store in the United States (in Upper East Side in New York). Due to the high standards of Laduree (and thank goodness for that!), the macarons are flown directly from Paris three times a week to the store in New York. No wonder these macarons are so wonderful!<br />
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Luckily, this discovery came in time for our New York trip, leaving today (yup, the day after Thanksgiving... are we crazy??) for a few days in the Big Apple to do two things: visit our friends and <strong><u>EATTTTTTT</u></strong>!! It has been awhile since I've blogged about traveling, so I'm quite excited for this trip and am planning to take lots of pictures so that I can report back! Stay tuned!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilR7DAxqH86qS_wbhV5BkaudI4gSLedVw24Go1FZyu0XY63x_PeQNFWORQZTL18okiUp4Tu-LyhTGgGCRLA0YyNZksyPe8Ru4olVH6nAFm2gFO77DgAxDkfpIThA6_eNPLAPnD68HHKjH3/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilR7DAxqH86qS_wbhV5BkaudI4gSLedVw24Go1FZyu0XY63x_PeQNFWORQZTL18okiUp4Tu-LyhTGgGCRLA0YyNZksyPe8Ru4olVH6nAFm2gFO77DgAxDkfpIThA6_eNPLAPnD68HHKjH3/s640/IMG_0002.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbqe-gxHktigFjlkPTOD3R-xt7ZAlawYZkP-XCCKQtRaKk6Ay4hBkb4boDpfD751-QjRXt9zrDvLlqZUduQSaZejhKU1r8W5zB3z_t4iGZ3-yljvJxViahIq81mjo9jfjVzTq3t531e9O/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbqe-gxHktigFjlkPTOD3R-xt7ZAlawYZkP-XCCKQtRaKk6Ay4hBkb4boDpfD751-QjRXt9zrDvLlqZUduQSaZejhKU1r8W5zB3z_t4iGZ3-yljvJxViahIq81mjo9jfjVzTq3t531e9O/s640/IMG_0003.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em> Pretty box.</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SNa-x-KrmbbrSgzAOVJcfhrQaTKY5ziRQOK60D1z2SsZQQBOZn5FmBfdVYnNAdu95UGsEKY3pj9kMyKIrU3LWB15p31RTdX-e6nc-fEOoZwy8W2f0HE6AEoYlG-6TvOLcaccQGjp4tfC/s1600/IMG_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="426px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SNa-x-KrmbbrSgzAOVJcfhrQaTKY5ziRQOK60D1z2SsZQQBOZn5FmBfdVYnNAdu95UGsEKY3pj9kMyKIrU3LWB15p31RTdX-e6nc-fEOoZwy8W2f0HE6AEoYlG-6TvOLcaccQGjp4tfC/s640/IMG_0010.JPG" width="640px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>From left to right: Salted Caramel, a berry-type (seasonal), Orange, Strawberry, Pistachio, and Chocolate. The salted caramel and the berry ones were the best!</em></div>ikes biteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083468818895515080noreply@blogger.com2