Foodums.com

Less tummy food; more brain food

2008-08-03T16:46:00.002-04:00

I've transitioned to a produce-heavy diet and conveniently, I'm now blogging mostly in one place. If you're interested in light paternalism, behavioral economics, or Buddhism, you might enjoy taking a gander.

Food experiments

2008-06-20T12:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, using fried-banana-smoothie in pancake mix is a great idea
So is using it in carrot cake in order to make ultra-moist muff-a-lumps
You know what else is good? Slices of kiwi tossed atop mustard greens and steamed. No, seriously. Put that, some hot rice, and sweet chili sauce in a bowl and say hellllooooo to yummerly.
Also, notion: price of produce in Chinatown going up, so the fruit guy right next to my building is now cheaper than the food on Forsyth and Grand. My theory? Gas prices are going up, so thusly cost of food going up, and since the Chinese are better at math their pricing is more agile. !!!

Most crackpot bullet point above is clearly the last one.

Bad idea jeans

2008-05-30T20:55:00.002-04:00

Alright, so, with the bananas.

For Memorial Day McFattery I bought some fried bananas to go with my fried chicken. I hadn't yet finished them off so this morning after my run I thought, "Hey, I'll stick 'em in this here smoothie with the choco protein powder and frozen strawberries."

Hmm.

This might have gone down fine when I wasn't running as frequently, but boy was it narst. I might be able to salvage in a pancake experiment I'm about to embark on (instead of 1 c milk, I'll do 1/2 c milk and 1/2 c smoothie), but I could taste the non-freshness of the fried banana. Blech.

I remember when during season for crew my sophomore year, I couldn't stand fried foods or even soda. All I wanted was to push cows out of the way and start chewing on crazy vegetable action. I would have two salads for dinner. The feedback recursive loopy algorithmic thing looked a little like

My body was healthier because I was working out all the time, so it was demanding healthier foods
So I started eating foods that were better for me
And then my body got even healthier

I think the converse / contrapositive feedback loop is probably similar:

One watches TV and one's body does not notice if you cram it full of ... fried chicken
So you keep eating ... fried chicken
And then you can no longer move from your spot in front of the TV

I suspect there are emotional well-being analogues too which I could blog about on OwnThePipes.com if it weren't already 9:00.

Mix it up!

2008-05-27T19:29:00.002-04:00

I've been terribly indulgent as of late and have been going wild with smoothies in the morning.

Throw stuff into blender
Blend on low for 12 seconds
Blend on high for 12 seconds
Blend on low for 12 seconds
Return to step one

This morning's "stuff":

Two crusty carrots picked up last night from the "about to rot" pile
1 cup frozen cherries
3/4 c frozen bluebellies
Scoop of hemp powder
3/4 c cherry juice
1/2 c rice milk
1 knuckle of ginger

Ugh, these things are dericious.

Yummy

2008-04-28T19:45:00.001-04:00

Turns out that one of my favorite Thai dessert thingies is also a Cuban expression that means, loosely translated, cluster-f---.

arroz con mango

Mmmm, mmm. Sprinkle some condensed milk on that bad boy and you've got a ...

cluster-f--- with condensed milk on top

Fresh-squeezed orange juice

2008-04-27T12:56:00.002-04:00

Amount of juice one can extract from three oranges using a run of the mill $14.99 juicer from Rite Aid: One cup

Amount of love expressed in this simple act of treating oneself with kindness: Buckets

How Sweet It Is

2008-04-10T21:14:00.001-04:00

My review of their chocolate caramel tart with sea salt.

Miami restaurants

2008-03-23T11:13:00.002-04:00

I just got back from my fourth biz trip in '08 to Miami. I am now accustomed to being the solo-female-biz-traveller at many restaurants there, since

(a) Not a lot of people dine alone anyway
(b) Particularly not business travelers in Miami (they just get room service)
(c) And women especially do not comprise a large percentage of business travelers

In the Design District, I was tipped off to DOMO JAPONES (4000 NE 2nd Avenue, 33137) by an issue of Domino magazine. The owner started chatted with me after he saw me brazenly sitting on the sushi bar to get a better view of the action. Great DJ the night I went (a Tuesday after working late) and the roll and the drink that the owner also comped me were rather tasty.

I had the panko sweet breads ($12), the mint julep drink ($14), an 8 piece sashimi ($28) and the short ribs ($27). The short ribs were especially divine.

Note to employer: don't worry, I only submitted $45 for reimbursement, since the total bill including tip was $103.

(DOMO JAPONES, it should be mentioned, is right down the street from MICHAEL'S GENUINE, also reco'ed in Domino, where I dined during my January trip. They've got a great onion blossom thing.)

On Lincoln Road, and definitely not in some western suburb off 75 called Saddle something (do NOT rely on your Garmin GPS for the address to this place), is QUATTRO (305.531.4833), which I learned about in last October's Bon Appetit. Great ambience and good food but not as good as DOMO JAPONES for the money (bill was $109).

I had their regional special, which I can't remember, only to say that it was good, and made me think of my 2004 trip to Italy. A sexy place and I'll definitely head back. But I can't stop thinking about those darn short ribs.

A very reasonably priced and terrifically attentive (though perhaps only if you are a single woman in 3" heels, a pencil skirt, and a low-cut v-neck top) place in Coral Gables was CACAO RESTAURANT (141 Giralda Ave., 33134). Great ambiance and my full meal (they gave me some free truffles for dessert and a gratis amuse bouche) was just $60. Inventive use of chocolate sauces throughout every dish. I can't want to head back here and leave room for dessert. I learned about Cacao in one of the magazines my hotel (Sonesta - Coconut Grove) had on the coffee table.

The Standard-Miami's BAYSIDE GRILL also has a terrific sammich thing with an aioli (sp?) sauce. I can't remember which type of fish it is but it's about 2/3 of the way down the menu. I discovered this place because I stayed there in January and also half of my most recent trip, but I feel like the Bayside Grill is also considered an "insider favorite", though I am guessing just for the views of the bay and the outdoor seating and not necessarily the food, which isn't all that super duper.

Also had dinner at THE BLUE DOOR at the Delano, which inventively paired meats and fruits (my favorite sport). I had lobster with peaches (!). I love that nearly a decade later, that place still satisfies.

-------{

Soup on the cheap

2008-03-08T17:01:00.003-05:00

Pick up some vegetables that you wouldn't mind consuming in soup form from the "stuff that's about to expire and therefore is totally cheap" shelf. I got 3 1/2 small potatoes for 45 cents and 4 medium carrots for forty cents.
Wash, peel, then cut into 1" chunks.
Toss into a small pot with a few garlic gloves.
Add a cup or a cup and a half of chicken broth; simmer on medium.
Meanwhile, take the leftover bones and fat from steak you made the previous night and put into a different pot. Add water to nearly cover the goods; crank to high.
When the chicken broth from pot #1 is mostly gone and the veggies are looking soft, transfer to a food processor and puree.
Put half of the puree into a bowl and serve as a mashed potato-like side course.
Kill the heat on pot #2; strain the broth into now-empty pot #1. Toss bones and fat before they turn rancid and stink up your whole apartment. :)
Turn heat under pot #1 to medium low; add the rest of the puree.
Stir and add additional chicken broth, if desired, to preferred soup consistency.

Serve with Wonder Bread slathered with Blue Bonnet margarine. Congratulate self on ingenuity. Briefly consider whether your future children will loathe your approach to food-making.

Fruity water

2008-03-08T16:03:00.002-05:00

During an "elite" branding brainstorm meeting at The Bank a few years ago, an SVP (Susan Song, I believe) in branding said how much she loved Glaceau's Vitamin Water.

"I know that it's completely branding, but in the afternoon I need my <>, and after a run I need my <>. It's ridiculous, but also, very successful marketing."

"That," I sniffed on the inside, "is loathesome and a waste of money."

Fast forward a few years, and this past January during my week-long stay at The Standard in Miami I grabbed a Vitamin Water after sweating it out on their hot Turkish stone-thing. I don't know if it was the happy chemicals already coursing through my veins from taking advantage of all their spa accoutrements, but boy that thing tasted good.

I'm now an addict. I tried SoBe's Life Water, but it tastes artificial. I tried Gatorade's Propel, and I have to say I like that one too.

But this could get expensive, so I'm experimenting with infusing water with fruits to get a similar taste. Right now I've got a bag of frozen strawberries thawing in a pitcher of water. Now sure how it'll taste. TBD!

---o

Mory's cups' recipes

2008-03-02T23:31:00.002-05:00

As part of a low-falutin' Yale tradition, I drank from a few Mory's cups this past February.

I found some of the drinks very tasty, and so it is that I got my mitts on the recipes.

MORY’S CUPS

THESE RECIPES MUST BE
STRICTLY ADHERED TO
FOR UNIFORMITY REASONS

MORY’S RED CUP:
Place a quart size ice block into cup.
Add 10oz. White Virgin Island Rum
Add 10oz. of Sour Mix.
Add enough Grenadine to achieve color desired.
Fill to near top with Club Soda. Stir.
Float 1 oz. of V.I. Rum on Top.
Serve.

MORY’S GREEN CUP:
Place a quart size ice block into cup.
Add 10 oz. Green Mix
Add 1 bottle domestic Champagne
Fill to near top with Club Soda
Serve.

MORY’S GOLD CUP:
Place a quart size ice block into Cup.
1 bottle domestic Champagne
Add 2oz. Triple Sec
Add 1 quart Orange Juice
Fill to near top with Club Soda
Serve.

THESE ARE THE ONLY CUPS TO BE SERVED.

THE BLACK CUP IS NOT

TO BE SERVED. IF YOU DO, YOU ARE SUBJECT TO DISMISSAL!
MORY’S BLUE CUP:

Place a quart size ice block into Cup.
10 oz. Blue Curaçao
1 bottle domestic Champagne
Fill to near top with Club Soda
Serve.

MORY’S PURPLE CUP:
Place a quart size ice block into Cup.
1 bottle domestic Champagne
Add 10 oz. Chambord liqueur
Add 1 oz. Sour Mix, 1 oz. Triple Sec
Fill to near top with Club Soda
Serve.

MORY’S VELVET CUP:
Place a quart size ice block into Cup.
1 bottle domestic Champagne
Fill with domestic beer, leave room to
Float 1 bottle Guiness Stout on top
Serve.

MORY’S IMPERIAL CUP:
Place a quart size ice block into Cup.
1 bottle NON ALCOHOLIC Champagne
Add 10 oz. Grape Juice
Fill to near top with Club Soda
Serve.

My favorite was the gold cup. Maybe I'll serve some at my Thai New Year brunch!

Dinner party!

2008-02-04T13:16:00.001-05:00

Saturday night I had half a dozen friends over for dinner, mostly because I was too lazy to change out of my fat jeans and go out. I thrust martini glasses into their hands as soon as they arrived with a drink I invented:

Berry Good

Dump a bag of frozen strawberries into a pitcher
Pour in creme de cassis until the strawberries are covered
Let thaw overnight so that the berries get good and drunk
Blend
Add 2 cups of 7 up for a bit of fizz
Pour!

I'm also a fan of salads, and I hear that spinach is good for depression, so here's the salad I threw together.

Spinach Salad

Bag of spinach leaves
Four slices of processed lunch meat ham, chopped
Four hard boiled eggs, chopped lengthwise
Two apples, diced. Sweetness of the apples balances out the bitterness of the spinach.

I had a side of processed bacon bits -- bacon tastes good -- that peeps could add as they wished.

All in all, a good time amongst friends :)

YUM

Dumplings!

2008-01-26T19:33:00.000-05:00

The other night, kitchen emptied of fresh foods due to two recent business trips to Miami, I found myself looking at some partially thawed chicken leftovers (from a roast chicken a month ago) and wondering what the heck to make. Peering around my pantry, I noticed some Bisquick ...

Plopped the chicken into a pot and added enough water to cover it
Tossed in a few tablespoons of Wondra in order to thicken it a tad
Followed the Bisquick recipe for dumplings (halved the recipe)
Covered the whole thing with a can of mushroom soup

I am definitely a taste bud slob, but the dumplings were super easy to make and tasty, too!

Next time I will err on a soupier stew thing, but I am so glad I took a risk and tried this out.

National pie day

2008-01-20T21:28:00.001-05:00

National Pie Day is coming up on Wednesday, January 23rd. I accidentally left my pie dish where I had Thanksgiving, and I'm no longer romantically linked to that person, so I'm not sure I'll be able to partake on the day of.

I'm wondering what kind of pie I should make. I love making the Devonshire apple pie (it's what I made for Thanksgiving in a misguided attempt to impress someone's mother) (!) but it might be fun to try a new recipe.

Any recommendations?

Bell family recipe: cranberry nut bread

2008-01-20T20:59:00.000-05:00

I haven't made this yet but a friend suggested it for a brunch I held on New Years' Day. If you make it, let me know how it goes!

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

1 cup whole raw cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups flour, less 1 tablespoon
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons shortening, melted (or canola or corn oil)
juice of 1 orange
grated rind of 1 orange

Mix 1 tablespoon flour with nuts and cranberries. Combine liquid ingredients, mix with dry ones (mixed first). In measuring cup, combine eggs, shortening, juice and rind, add enough boiling water to make 1 cup liquid. Stir into dry ingredients, add cranberries and nuts. Don't mix too much. Bake in greased loaf pan 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Orange Julius! Except ... not.

2008-01-13T19:06:00.000-05:00

Now that I am convinced that these protein muscle shake doo-dads actually help with repair and building and efficiency, I am off to the blender-using races.

Tonight I used one cup of vanilla powder plus four cups of orange juice and a tablespoon of lemon juice.

Ugh, it's frothy and dericious. I am in smoothie-moustache heaven. Nyum nyum!

Muscle-building smoothie things

2007-12-27T22:50:00.000-05:00

If you, like me, appreciate the idea of those muscle-building protein powder shakes, but find yourself making excuses about why you don't have time to peel bananas, rest assured!

Tonight I made my vanilla Pro Lean Mass Extreme with banana juice manufactured by Hortex (I picked mine up at M&I International Foods in Brooklyn, but I'm guessing that any banana nectar-like juice will suffice). 8 scoops + 34 ounces + one Activa vanilla yogurt into the blender and ... delicious! This should be good for three days worth of lunch smoothie action.

I may have to try the chocolate powder with cherry juice next ... !!

Chicken fingers with honey mustard

2007-11-17T23:09:00.000-05:00

I like this recipe because it's easy, and it helps me pretend that I am not basically making the equivalent of junky food, even though I am. This came from some junk mail:

Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (4 ounces each)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Honey mustard:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
Serves 6

Cut chicken into 1/2 x 2" strips. For honey mustard sauce, blend honey & mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in milk. (Okay, this is totally not kosher, duh.) Roll in flour mixture to coat well. Place chicken on waxed paper.
Pour 1/4" of oil into a large heavy skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to 350 or until a cube of white bread dropped in oil browns evenly in 1 minute. (Is anyone going to actually test browning the white bread cube in sixty seconds? Skeeriously???)
Divide chix into batches. Place 'em in an even layer in hot oil. Fry, turning 1x, for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown & crisp. Drain on paper towels. Search with sauce.

FIN.

Steak!

2007-11-12T22:28:00.000-05:00

Saturday night, while my boyfriend was in the restroom I snuck a few bites of his Kobe beef during dinner at 15 East. I've never seen steak served with a side of melted butter a la lobster but that's how 15 East rolls and I tell you what, that's how I'm going to roll.

Since I'd like to get more confident cooking steak, and since I love butter, here's what I made tonight.

Cut 1 medium yellow onion into rings and 2 yellow apples into wedges
Put some leftover bacon grease and a plop of butter into a pan on medium-high heat
Set a small bowl of butter near the pan so it can start melting
Cook the onion and apples until the onions start to get a little soft
Make room for 3/4 lb of rib eye (I think ... it was $12/lb ... so whatever thick, fatty steak is $12/lb)
Sear it for 5-6 minutes on one side; flip and repeat
Turn off the heat; move the steak to a plate; cover loosely with tin foil
Let the juices continue to work their magic for ten minutes
Put the onions and apples in a bowl
EAT. Dip steak into butter often.

I washed it all down with a Pilsner Urquell.

Next up, I'll get so round that there'll be no more boyfriend for whom to sear red meat :)

Tasty drinks

2007-10-31T11:59:00.000-04:00

I'm up in Toronto for corporate training this week. We went to a place called The Riv for drinks and, while we did end up having to teach the bartenders a couple, I learned how to make some drinks that I hereby consider ultra-tasty.

(For the record, I tend to have a girly-drink palate but all the drinks below were guy initiated, tested, & approved.)

The Kamikaze
This one's an old standby. First time I had this was at a feel-good happy hour at Good World for the .com I worked for in the 00s. I recently bought a couple of rounds for my basketball team after we won our summer division.

Vodka
Rose's lime juice
Cointreau

The Washington Apple

Cranberry juice
Apple pucker
Crown royal

Red-headed slut

Jagermeister
Cranberry juice
Peach schnapps

Sicilian kiss
This one's not a shot but rather a mixed drink.

Fill glass 1/2 to 2/3 with ice
One (1) shot amaretto
One (1) shot southern comfort
Top off with ginger ale
Garnish with lime

Heavy drinking: bad for your liver; good for morale!

(Related: the Almond Joy)

Day late and a URL short

2007-10-25T13:45:00.001-04:00

Foodums.blogspot.com was already taken. D'OH!

(Dough!)