Roast Chicken

After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which is really good, I decided to make an effort to buy more of my food locally. I also decided I had to try roasting an entire chicken. I wasn't really ready to do it alone, so I was fortunate my parents were in town for Easter.

Conveniently, I found a little, baby chicken weighing a bit under two pounds at Greenmarket. Apparently calling it a little, baby chicken was gross, but, whatever, it recently was one. I also purchased tarragon and key limes. You have to put spices and citrus in its chest cavity for the best flavor and its chest cavity was too small for a real lime...

The process was simple; it is really only slightly more complicated than marinating and cooking chicken parts. I rinsed the chicken, rubbed it down with oil, salt, and pepper inside and outside, and then stuffed the garlic, tarragon, and punctured key limes inside. By thinking about it rationally, I was able to not get too squeamish to continue. I kept telling Mom it was like dissection in anatomy class.

The end results were good. I saved the leftover bits to make my own chicken stock. Fun! I'm excited to try again with different spices and a slightly larger chicken.

Caracas Arepa Bar

As Mike was out of town, Jaime decided to linger in the city a big longer than usual. We wasted time at my apartment, wandered around Rugby, and then walked over to Caracas Arepa Bar in the rain. I had the impression it was around 3rd Avenue. Yeah, I don't know how I was so far off. Our meal was well worth the walk though.

Caracas is super tiny, even for NYC. Luckily, we managed to grab a table. They have signage stressing that they don't serve fast food, but it isn't really slow either. Deciding what to order took longer than the preparation.

As I can't resist plantains, cheese, or beans, I chose the De Pabellon Arepa, the YoYos, and topped everything off with a Cocoda. The only thing I can compare to Arepas are Gyros; they are nothing alike other than both being delicious. The YoYos were supposedly deep fried plaintain rolls filled with cheese. It sounds like something I would love, but it didn't hit the spot. Perhaps because they were very breaded and I couldn't taste the plantains? I would have preferred another Arepa or, maybe, another Cocada milkshake.

The milkshake is what I can't stop talking about it. It was FRESH coconut - rich and just sweet enough. I wish they served pina coladas at Caracas, because they could rival the beach-side club's version in Salinas, Ecuador, which ruined all pre-made pina coladas for me. If you like coconut, you have to go here immediately and try the Cocada and some arepas. I know I'll be back for both, in spite of the need for Febreeze when I arrived home smelling like fried food.

Location: 93.5 East 7th Street (Between 1st Avenue and Avenue A - closer to 1st)
Hours: Mon-Sat 12:00p to 10:30p (sometimes only to go), Sun 12:00p - 9:30p
Cost: $ or $$ (depending on how much you need to get full)

Jing Fong

Today I went over to Jeff's to drop off the few things I just couldn't bear to throw away from our refrigerator that somehow survived the multi-week slow death (i.e. organic butter, chili-garlic sauce, wheat germ, minced ginger, etc.).

As both of our brunch plans had fallen through, I finally got my personal Chinatown tour. Yes, he knows all about Chinatown in spite of not actually being of Asian descent. We visited a bakery and supermarket, saw his jerky shop, stared a yummy looking ice cream with unique flavors, and discussed ordering so fresh it is killed in front of you fish from the stores.

Before all of that, we went for Dim Sum at Jing Fong. Upon entering you are corralled downstairs waiting for your parties' number to be called (kind of like bingo). Then you go upstairs to a massive room with red, gold, and black decor, I swear it is the size of a whole block, filled with tables unfortunately covered with poly-silk Pepto Bismol pink tablecloths and napkins.

The dim sum is displayed on a buffet or brought around on carts, you pick what you want to try, and they mark your card for each selection. The card becomes your bill. The carts have "safe" choices i.e. identifiable foods like fried or steamed dumplings with shrimp, pork, or beef, fried tofu, rice noodles, sesame rolls, and a delicious almond flavored tofu dish that resembles jello.

They also have mystery foods that turn out to be things like tripe, intestinal lining whose texture I can't get over to enjoy, and chicken feet, which I tried with much hesitation. Yes, the girl who complains about her pork having unidentifiable chewy parts tried chicken feet. The preparation Jeff picked out was reminiscent of buffalo chicken wings in texture and presentation. They really weren't so bad, except the mental hurdle involved. Don't know that I will pick them out without encouragement, but I would try them again prepared this way.

Jing Fong also has great tea that goes with your meal. I enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to my next trip. Deb and I are going to try for a group on April 6th, so we can try more things for less money. If you want to go let me know. :)

Location: 20 Elizabeth Street, 2nd Floor (between Canal and Bayard Streets)
Hours: 9:30 am to 10:30 pm Daily with Dim Sum served between 10:00 and 3:30 (it really ends closer to 2:00 pm)
Cost: $$ (for brunch)

El Paso Taqueria

For the first time in a long time I went on a date. Conveniently we both live on the UES, so when he suggested his favorite Mexican restaurant, El Paso Taqueria, I was happy to try something new and relatively close. I also was very nervous as my mind gets ahead of me all the time.

We met around 7:30 and started with fresh guacamole and chips. The guacamole was really, really good - super fresh with all the appropriate ingredients chunked in. I almost didn't notice that complimentary chips and salsa were not offered. I ordered Carnitas Tacos. They were served traditionally with open corn tortillas, more yummy guacamole, onion, cilantro, and the oven roasted pork. They were good. However, I still haven't decided whether they were better at the Mexican restaurant I frequented in Astoria. I guess I'll have to go to both and compare. The prices are reasonable enough that this will be easy to do...

I also had Cemitas Al Pastor, which turned out to be an elaborate sandwich. The description of a sesame bun suckered me in. It wasn't anything special; the roasted marinated pork, while mixed with onions and pineapples as expected, also had those weird chunks of meat that you would rather not encounter in your meal.

I probably won't make a huge effort to go to El Paso Taqueria again, but if I do I will stick to the tacos and guac. As for the date, it went smoothly aided by unobtrusive, pleasant service happy to let us continue talking until 10:30 long after our meal was done.

Location: 1642 Lexington Avenue at 104th Street
Hours: Don't know? I went for dinner.
Cost: $$ or $ depending on what/how much you choose to eat

bill's Coconut Bread

This first time I made bill's Coconut Bread, I ate it all before I could remember to take a picture. See, I have a thing for coconut. Freshman year of college a boyfriend's mom was an international stewardess and introduced me to Ferrero Raffaello candies. They are creamy, perfect candies that apparently caused me to make the same face making out did. Ahem. Next it was Edy's Coconut Sorbet by the pint in a single sitting. Writing this makes me what to sneak into the kitchen for my fourth sliver of the day, but I will resist as bedtime is soon.

Our refrigerator has been broken for almost three weeks now. I'm constantly challenged to make things I can eat quickly without buying perishable items that will need storage since to get the fridge fixed, when and if the part comes in, the whole thing must be unplugged for 48 hours. Remembering this recipe made me slightly less bitter about having to use my last two eggs and some butter just in case the call comes this week.

The bread is just as good as I remembered, obviously. It is dense, thoroughly flecked with finely shredded coconut, and not overly sweet. When toasted with butter it literally melts in your mouth. If you like coconut, you must try making this as it is pretty simple given what it provides. FYI, caster sugar is equivalent to superfine sugar in the US.

P.S. I really need to get better at taking pictures of my food, eh?

Mochi

I had two not-so-successful cooking ventures this weekend. Friday, I tried to poach an egg without paying enough attention. That foamy stuff on the pan? Apparently that is what happens to egg whites when you boil them. Oops. It was definitely cooked through - edible but not what I was going for at all.


Sunday I set about making mochi using this recipe that Vika sent me. Making the mochi itself was easy. I just had to mix together the three or four ingredients, cover, and microwave for 10 minutes. The hard part was handling it. If it gets cold or personally cool enough to touch, you aren't going to have any luck shaping it. It is mercilessly sticky. It is hard to flatten and several times once I managed to get it flat, I added the red bean paste (totally got a can of it instead of making it from scratch!) and shaped it only to have it break.

After the strawberry and halfway through the chocolate I had decided that it is totally worth the cost to buy mochi. As usual, I persevered and made the plain kind next. Somehow it seemed easier. Maybe maying mochi takes practice? It took roughly three hours for the results below. But hey, I had homeade neopolitan mochi that was very popular at the Potluck Club's Pan-Asian night.

Calle Ocho

First - how amusing is this thread? I thought my salsa and cottage cheese phase was something to hide. It seems so commonplace compared to lots of these items!

Sunday I met Renée for brunch at Calle Ocho. It had been months since we caught up and her suggestion of eating at a restaurant participating in Time Out for Hunger helped narrow things down to Calle Ocho. Plus, I've wanted to go for the longest time. Fortunately we had a reservation, which ensured prompted seating, as those without were turned away.

Upon sitting down our waitress informed us that it was Sangria Sunday (!) meaning FREE, UNLIMITED sangria with your brunch. Good sangria. 6 types to choose from. You also receive a tasty little crate with various sweet muffins accompanied by pink butter (didn't have a flavor) and a tasty black bean puree of some sort.

I ordered the Vaca Frita ($13). It was a little greasy, but not enough to put me off so it may or may not be noticeable to other people. I cleaned up the ENTIRE plate. The skirt steak was tender, the latin fried rice (spicy seasoning, bacon, and black beans) was unique and flavorful, the over medium eggs perfectly cooked, and the tomato/avocado offset everything perfectly. Renée had the cuban sandwich. It was good as far as they go... The amount of pickle was perfect for once - you could taste it but it wasn't like biting a giant chunk of kosher dill. The latino chips were thin, crisps of plantain.

The service was efficient without hovering and they didn't rush us through our meal and sangria. We lingered for almost 2 hours without any dirty looks or stolen half-finished plates. We could hear each other talk without trouble. The atmosphere was pleasant - very open, airy, and full of natural light. I'm curious about what it looks like at night, but I'll have to save up for that trip as prices are significantly more expensive then. All in all, I can't wait to go back!

Location: 446 Columbus Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets
Hours: Mon-Thurs 6p-11p, Fri 6p-12a, Sat 5p-12am, Sun 11:30a-3p
Cost: $$ (for brunch), $$$ (other times)

Food for Thought (A Forward from my Mom)

Truth IS stranger than fiction...Who says truth isn't stranger than fiction, but the following does make sense. I hope you enjoy the information, it's accurate. Sounds just like something a higher power would do.

Here is just a short list of examples of Whole Food Signatures.

* A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots great ly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

* A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.

* Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape look S like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

* A Walnut looks like a little brain (come on be honest, you were thinking something else!), a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

* Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

* Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

* Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

* Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the number of Sperm, a way to overcome male sterility.

* Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

* Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

* Grapefruits, Oranges , and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

* Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

Orthorexia?

Jaime sent me this awesome article about food obsession (and not in a good way)!

Lentil Soup (Sort of)

This lentil soup looks delicious, right? The recipe was simple and ideal as I had most of the ingredients on hand and my monthly grocery budget was maxed.

I'm not sure how to explain the mess below since I followed the recipe for the most part. My only deviation was using regular lentils, but as you can see that wasn't the issue. My lentils held their shape. My version tasted okay, but it did not look okay and certainly didn't have the soup-y texture I expected.

It is going to be a while before I try this again, if ever.

Busy Day Cake

I love sweets. The Busy Day Cake recipe on Orangette with its cute story was irresistible.

It seemed so simple and really it was, except for my inspired hand creaming the butter and sugar idea. (I think the butter wasn't quite soft enough leading to blisters from my attempt to cream it by hand.) In spite of that mishap, this took maybe 20 minutes to pull together.

The cake isn't overly sweet and for once I managed to not over mix it, so it rose nicely. My only complaint is the cake is a little dry and crumbly. In fact, it resembles slightly sweet, dry cornbread without the corn flavor.

I'll probably make this again eventually. No rush.

Tomato Sauce

I've been taunted by the 28-ounce can of peeled, whole plum tomatoes on my shelf for almost a year. I purchased a few after reading Superfoods last year (good book!) and made soup with most of them, but none of the recipes I have selected since required non-diced canned tomatoes.

Hungover and tired, I decided I really wanted spaghetti and somehow my fuzzy thought process remembered seeing this recipe for Tomato Sauce on one of my favorite food blogs. It was an excellent rediscovery that made for a tasty, easy dinner.

It wasn't so good that I will stop buying pre-made spaghetti sauce, but I will make it again one day I'm sure.

P.S. Save the onions and eat them. Yum. They were almost better than the sauce.

Broiled Salmon with Spinach and Feta Saute

My arugula and feta were dying a slow, painful death. I felt an urge to eat fish. I have a never ending supply of pine nuts (thanks, Mom!). I wanted something nice to eat for Valentine's Day. Conveniently I had Everyday Food's March 2008 issue with the page folded down to a recipe for Broiled Salmon with Spinach and Feta Saute.

With a substitution of arugula for spinach, I was on my way. This was done in fifteen minutes, it looked classy, and while a little bitter tasted great overall. I can't even complain about the bitterness as it was likely caused by using aging arugula in place of the suggested spinach. I will definitely make this again with the proper ingredients and more greens.

Bon Chon Chicken i.e. KoFC

For months now Deb and I have been discussing Korean Fried Chicken (i.e. KoFC due to her cleverness not mine). She was going soon after our last dinner outing and I was intrigued. I've never loved American Fried Chicken - so greasy, crusty and slimy, and for a long time horrifyingly fattening -- but KoFC seemed different, especially after this New York Times Article. Last night we visited Bon Chon, which Gothamist has some great pictures of here.

Without help it would be hard to find as it looks closed from the outside, if you even realize it is on the second floor. While waiting for Deb to arrive, I was weighing our other options just in case. It turns out Bon Chon was very open; it just is dressed as a nightclub with dim lighting, not-so-attentive staff, loud music, and uncomfortable bottle service style tables.

We ordered a large platter, 9 drumsticks, half Soy Garlic and half Hot Spicy. It is accompanied by some sort of pickled white vegetable and a cabbage salad with a flavorless dressing. I'm pretty sure the purpose of these accompaniments is to tone down the Hot Spicy. Both sauces had a great flavor and the texture is unique - kind of like crispy rotisserie chicken. Don't come here if you want a quick meal; we had to wait for a table and it took a good 30 minutes for the chicken to come out.

I enjoyed it, but I think it will be a while before the urge to go again strikes me. Pio Pio trumps it in my book.

Vika, I hope my next visit will be with you... You love fried chicken and they serve a beverage called Soju. Apparently, it comes by the carafe and in Lychee flavor that doesn't even taste like alcohol. I didn't try as that would have been a recipe for a disastrous Wednesday night.

Location: 314 Fifth Avenue, 2nd Floor (closer to 32nd Street)
Hours: Sun-Thurs 4:00p-2:00a, Fri-Sat 4:00p-4:00a
Cost: $$

Black and White Rice Krispie Treats

Ever since spotting this recipe for Black and White Rice Krisipie Treats, I knew I had to make them. While they aren't exactly thematically correct for Valentine's Day it seemed like a good opportunity. I also am secretly celebrating my almost one-month anniversary at the new job where I have co-workers to share treats with!

I went to three CVS's to find cinnamon hearts to add in for a festive effect; unfortunately, we barely had bowls big enough to mix the marshmallows, Rice Krispies, etc. so I had to skip it. My application on top after the fact didn't stick too well either. Oh well! I've enjoyed eating them on the side. ;)

I had forgotten how easy Rice Krisipie Treats are to make. My two batches took around 45 minutes. I think I'll revisit this again when I have more than one cupcake tin... That slowed the process down as I had to be creative with the shaping of the other set. It appears that the original ones are thicker too. I'm starting to think my silicone tin is shallow and that a new tin MIGHT fix all these squat comments about muffins, cupcakes, etc. made in it.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Pasta and Spinach Cream Sauce

Last weekend I made a dish that took less than an hour! It felt really nice to eat so quickly; I almost was able to resist eating food while I cooked.

This recipe for Pan-Seared Salmon with Pasta and Spinach Cream Sauce is surprisingly simple and a great way to add spinach and salmon into your diet. I am working hard to eat fish and green vegetables more often. It really is hard work.

I used 6 ounces of spinach instead of 5 and would have been happy to have more as it wilts down to such a small amount that it is hardly noticeable. As the recipe's authors said, it has a light flavor for being a cream sauce.

I'll definitely make this one again. The only problem is what to do with the leftover cream. I've been pouring it on my apple crumble and making, as my roommate pointed out, really lazy Fettuccine Alfredo with it, grated Parmesean Reggiano, Salt, Whipping Cream, Parsley Pseudo-Pesto - idea from here, and whole wheat noodles.

Apple Crumble with Whipping Cream

I really wanted to make cobbler to go with my Pan-Seared Salmon with Pasta and Spinach Cream Sauce, but crumble was so much easier. The crunchy contrast of the cobbler topping with the softened apples was all I really wanted anyway.

I used Sally Schneider's Crumble recipe from A New Way to Cook, which you can find as the very last post here. My only alteration was using almond meal in place of sliced almonds. I had it on hand and was not looking for a really crunchy topping.

As you can see, maybe, the crumble had a very crumble-y texture. I was hoping for something a bit more cohesive as the topping. I plan to try a different topping recipe next time with the hope of finding what I'm looking for.

Cottage Cheese and Egg Breakfast Muffins

I always eat breakfast. It prevents me from being crank(ier than usual), jump starts my metabolism, and tastes good. Cereal is good, especially Kashi Go Lean Crunch, but not the healthiest choice so I am constantly looking for other options.

Now that is colder, I am almost always satisfied by oatmeal with raisins and a splash of milk. However, I sometimes want something different. Eggs may be a great breakfast, but making them and doing the dishes afterward isn't quick; I thought these muffins would be a good substitute (pictured below).

After eating 18 you would think I would have a stronger opinion about them. No luck. They are pretty simple to prepare, filling, and tasty yet the texture just seemed odd. Texture means a lot to me, so this might end up ruling them out. For now they are on my list of recipes to try again.

Pureed Parsnip Soup

An unexpected perk of my new job is the free copies of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food that arrive every month. The downside is now I have access, without printing, to so many more recipes. The first issue I brought home inspired me to make three dishes i.e. way too much food for only me to eat.

The first one I made was Pureed Vegetable Soup and when you see the picture accompanying the recipe, you'll know why I absolutely had to make it right then. So pretty! Parsnips weren't my first choice, but the $1.00 per pound price at the Greenmarket swayed me.


It was super simple to put the soup together and it was a satisfying meal. The parsnips gave it a slightly sweet flavor with a hint of spiciness. I think I prefer parsnips when they aren't pureed and won't use them when I revisit the recipe.

Apple Cheddar Yogurt Muffins

As I grated the apples for this recipe, I realized I could have just used natural applesauce. While Mom always says I should follow the recipe exactly the first time, my slightly grated fingertips have their doubts. Ouch. I left out the cardamon. I didn't think I would use it often enough to spend the $4.00 involved with buying each new spice.

The muffins tasted fine, but something didn't go right. They were very dense and squat. With the amount of effort involved and the mediocre results, I probably won't revisit this recipe.