3 milk cheese & sweet Soppressata

Seriously...this snack kicks ass!

Mid-day Snack

Midday Snack

Does your stomach ever dictate what you eat? Mine does - good example was this lunchtime snack we had on Saturday. I walked into the kitchen and saw the just-ripe avacado on the window sill. Next to it was a gorgeous heirloom tomato. And then when I went for something to drink in the refrigerator the plums and strawberries called out to me! So our snack included all of the above! The fruit was easy - a little wash and ready to go. The avocado got a drizzle of fresh lime juice & salt and pepper. While the tomato got sliced and sprinkled with salt & pepper. Quite a tasty and broadly varied snack. :)

Voodoo Doughnuts

We finally made our way to Voodoo Doughnut yesterday - it's a Portland staple, and a must-try when in the city. I'd seen them profiled on many different food programs, so was excited to finally get in line and sample the wares myself - despite the fact that I'm not a HUGE sugary-sweet eater. keith, on the other hand nearly pouted when I told him he could only get 2 doughnuts. :)

The vibe of the place is great, and the options are insane. keith - worried that he wouldn't be able to make a decision - looked up the menu on his iPhone before the line let us into the store. He wanted to be prepared. Yet when he saw the doughnut covered in Captain Crunch cereal, he nearly crumbled under the pressure of the decision!! We each got 2 doughnuts - a suitable lunch, right? With pink box in hand, we went out into the sunshine to enjoy.

My first pick was the Voodoo Doll - loved it! Let alone the quirkiness of the design, it's quite a tasty doughnut. And when you get down to the raspberry jam, you can't help but smile as you're devouring the little person.

I then moved on to the Bacon Maple Bar - this was the reason I wanted to come to Voodoo Doughnuts. Come on, bacon on a pastry? Sign me up!! It tasted like breakfast! And while I couldn't eat the whole thing, I still enjoyed it!

keith started with the Old Dirty Bastard - oreo cookies, peanut butter and chocolate frosting. I don't think it was sweet enough for him. :) Just watching him eat it made me cringe!

And then he moved on to the Portland Cream - a basic but delicious cream filled donut.

Seriously check them out if you're in town. And if you come visit us, we'll take you. It's worth the wait in line.

Heirloom Tomatoes

So meaty & delicious, heirloom tomatoes are definitely my favorite type of tomato. I need a garden so I can grow some of my own! And there's nothing better than just eating them by themselves - sprinkle a little salt & some grains of paradise over top, and you're good to go!

Roasted Potatoes

I have not shied away from the fact that I'm a lover of spuds. Starchy, heavy, and so darn versatile. :) And one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes is by simply chopping them up and roasting them. I made these the other night to go with the Sloppy Joe sandwiches keith made for dinner (more on that later).

They are so simple - first preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut up some potatoes (generally a good rule is one big potato per person...I usually do a little more than that) into 1-inch cubes. Throw them on a baking sheet. Drizzle a good amount of olive oil over top, and sprinkle on a generous amount of salt, and some pepper. Use your hands and mix it all together to make sure that the potatoes all get coated in oil. Right before putting them in the oven I sometimes sprinkle the potatoes with some paprika (like this time) for color and taste. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until they are all softened and browning.

S'Mores

Late night trip to the grocery store to satisfy an urge...chocolate, melted & toasted marshmallow and graham crackers. I'm sure glad my husband is always up for any cravings I might have. I actually remember that we used to make S'mores in the microwave when we were first together...haha, how funny. Now, thankfully, we have the grill. I pulled up the grates and turned on the flame. Skewers for the marshmallows - giggles as they caught on fire and we rushed to blow them out - and contented sighs as the mixture of flavors and textures flooded our tastebuds. Some things are just worth it. :)

Squash Blossoms

While at the Farmers Market I picked up a bunch of squash blossoms. In all honesty I thought the season for blossoms was spent and we wouldn't see it again until next spring. Alas, I was wrong. There they were, deliciously calling to me. One of my favorite things to do with squash blossoms is to make a real quick & simple tempura batter and fry them fast. These work as an excellent side dish, or as an appetizer. You could make an asian dipping sauce for it - or any kind of dipping sauce you'd like, but I often just munch on them as they are.

Tempura batter
1 cup flour
1 Tbl. cornstarch
1 1/2 cup soda water
Salt (to taste)

Combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. You should end up with a lightly bubbly, thick liquid. Don't over-mix as you want some of the carbonation to stay in the batter - this helps fluff up the batter when cooked.

Squash Blossoms
1 bunch Squash Blossoms
Tempura Batter
Peanut Oil

Fill a cast iron skillet 1 1/2 inches with peanut oil. Heat up to relatively high heat (peanut oil can take it better than olive oil). Pluck the blossoms from their stems, rinse and spin dry or pat dry completely. Dredge the blossoms in the batter, covering completely, and place into the hot oil. Cook for 2 - 4 minutes until crispy (batter does NOT turn brown like other batters - it stays the same color for the most part). Turn over and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes until the batter is cooked through completely. Remove from oil and allow to sit for a few minutes on a paper towel.

Broccoli

Isn't it pretty? And delicious? This time I heat up some olive oil in a hot pan and threw in the broccoli. As it started to soften, I threw in some thin garlic slices (2 cloves), soy sauce (2 - 4 Tbl.) and some fish sauce (2 Tbl.). Cook it hot and quick - one of my favorite ways to serve broccoli. And I totally stole the idea from an old favorite restaurant that is sadly no longer around on the Lower East Side in NYC: The Elephant.

Duck Prosciutto

Today was one of the last times I'll be visiting the Inwood farmers market! I got the normal - a huge bag of apples for keith to last the week; some pumpkin bread for breakfast; some nice mint & greens for mojitos & salad later. And I stopped by the Turkey Farm booth in the hopes of finding some turkey legs to roast for dinner. Alas, no drumsticks today. So I moseyed on over to the Duck Farm booth - always a great place to stop. I went with Lola duck breasts for dinner tonight. And as I was waiting for her to get the breasts, I read that they carry duck prosciutto. Intrigued, I asked to see it. Instantly, I fell head over heels in love. Dried, cured & seasoned, complete with the thick layer of fat still attached, this breast was gorgeous - it even still had the string attached from which it was hung to dry. I bought it and rushed up to the apartment knowing that even before I put together breakfast I would be slicing off a piece of that breast to sample. It did NOT disappoint - ducky, gamey, chewy and outstandingly delicious! And now that we've achieved our packing goal today, I can't wait to slice some of the duck prosciutto up (along with some pieces of the fresh OctoberFast cheese from the Dairy Farm booth at the farmers market) as an afternoon snack - after the bubble bath with my husband, of course.

Kettle Chips

So bad...yet so good.  Late night snack.

Kumquats

Ever tried them?  If not, you should.  They're completely edible (skin included - just watch out for the little seeds), and they make a fantastic addition to cocktails in lieu of lemon or lime.  Just cut them in half, pick out what seeds you can, squeeze each half into your cocktail or shaker and then drop the whole thing into the glass (and eat them as you drink).

KIND Bars

I found a new favorite thing.  After swimming some laps at the Y during lunch, I was starving.  I wandered into Whole Foods and found the KIND Bars.  Freakin' fantastic!!  I had the Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio + Antioxidants bar and loved it.  I also picked up the Almond Cashew with Flax for breakfast tomorrow (along with a lovely Pink Lady Apple - don't you love the name?).  High Props to the KIND Snack company for these bars.

Peanut Butter Cups

keith has a fondness for chocolate & peanut butter.  So much so that for Christmas I got him a case of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  He's slowly working through them.  I've even managed to incorporate them into drinks - ah, how fun.  But these...these are special treats.  They are made my Christopher Norman Chocolates and are decadent beyond description.  There's a salty, crunchy almost pretzel bottom - and the swirl of chocolates mixes so well with the creamy peanut butter inside.  Truly a treat - and at $4 each, one I don't buy too often!  So when keith gets THESE treats, he knows he's been good!  :)

Cadbury Creme Egg

This may or may not come as a shock, but my husband and I are not religious.  In any way.  :)  And yet, despite that, Easter has come to be a special holiday for us.  Sure, we both have fond memories of the holiday growing up.  For me it was lots of Easter baskets, and hunting for eggs (because it's so much easier to get kids excited about a religious holiday by making up a colorful bunny that gives them sugar!).  And in a moment of nostalgia (and weakness) I reached for a couple of Cadbury Creme Eggs while at the store.

Funny enough, before I even took a bite and began enjoying it, keith told me he read a story about the eggs in a recent edition of Wired Magazine.  So I thought I'd share what he read to me (taken directly from Wired, part of their "What's Inside" section):

Yellow 6:  The yolk gets its brilliant color from an azo dye 

built around double-bonded nitrogen atoms.  Yellow 6 also helps give 

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese its rich golden hue.

Egg Whites:  The white inside this ersatz egg actually contains 

the real thing.  A mix of several proteins, half of which is ovalbumin, 

it's likely used to make a sticky, meringue-like foam.

Calcium Chloride:  This sidewalk de-icer is also used to coagulate 

soybeans into tofu and milk into cheese curds.  Here, it probably 

helps whiten and solidify the creme.

So break into a Cadbury Creme Egg this year, and raise it in toast to the magical bunny that represents...the pagan rite of spring...or rather the Resurrection of...oh never mind, just enjoy the tasty sweetness - it certainly brought a smile to MY face!

Update:  I completely forgot to mention WHY Easter is a holiday that we have come to love.  It's because, all religious observance aside, we decided it would become a weekend celebration of US.  keith makes his homemade Skyline Chili (which I ADORE), and we have lots and lots of sex.  What's not to like, right?

Farmers Market

Every Saturday there is a fantastic Farmers Market on our street here in Inwood.  I'm amazed at how much it has grown in the 6 years we've been in the area.  There are all kinds of vendors:  wine, honey, duck, turkey, cheese, beef, and the list goes on (and it's year round - for the most part).  And nearly every Saturday I make a point to walk through the market.  So this morning the whole family headed for the market.  My husband was being pulled along by our yellow lab, Max, and I had the big shopping bag ready for the market.

I knew I wanted a bunch of apples (a favorite snack in this apartment!), and a small loaf of pumpkin bread for breakfast.  Alas, I came back with so much more.  I got 2 amazingly fresh duck breasts for dinner - as well as some homemade spinach ravioli.  I resisted the fresh cheese tent, but did buy a cheese danish and a cinnamon raisin loaf along with the pumpkin bread.  I also snagged a small bag of sunflower sprouts - I've never had them, but I thought they might make a really nice salad to go with the duck breasts tonight!

If you have a local farmers market, I would encourage you to check it out - and frequently.  It truly is amazing how good fresh and local produce and products are.  And there's something absolutely wonderful about buying a jar of wildflower honey knowing that it was made not far from where you live.

Grandpa's Pizza

keith, his brother Roger and I had a fantastic lamb chop dinner - and the rosemary martinis kept flowing.  After some board games, and lots of talking & laughing, I decided it might be prudent to have something else in our stomachs (it was 1am at that point).  So off I trot, downstairs, to Grandpa's Pizza.  They are an Inwood staple that serves fantastic brick oven pizza.  Our friends Lana & Jason would probably live on Grandpa's pizza if given the chance.  And nothing hits the spot after copious amounts of liquor at 1am than a big, cheesy pizza!

Mac Bar

My brother-in-law, Roger, is visiting this weekend.  And while I'm documenting all of the things I put in my mouth, I probably won't get around to posting them until after he's left.  :)

Yesterday when he first arrived we wandered a bit through Chinatown.  I was hoping to find some early Dragonfruit - I was certain I wouldn't but I tried anyway.  I did buy a bag full of baby bok choy for only $1 - gotta love that!  We met up with keith for a late afternoon snack at Mac Bar in SoHo.

I had the Mac Rueben (just as it sounds...basically a rueben mixed in with mac n cheese!), Roger tried the Mayan Chipotle, and keith had the Mac Quack (one of my favorites - duck confit is the main ingredient).  While the photo doesn't do it justice, here's my Mac Rueben and keith's Mac Quack in the background.

We found a happy hour, and then decided that Rosemary martinis at our place sounded much better.  A couple of those went down way too easily though.  But I did manage to make a fantastic dinner of fried polenta, sauteed baby bok choy and seared lamb rib chops with a pistachio tapenade (more later!).

Post-Work, Pre-Weekend Snack

I went on the hunt for large sardines, and couldn't find any.  So instead, I grabbed some gorgeous smoked salmon.  I wanted a little mini-celebration to start the weekend off just right, even though it's just me and the dog at home right now.

I got a loaf of bread from Sullivan Street Bakery (Whole Foods finally starting carrying their bread - this is their signature loaf - chewy, crusty, bready heaven) and sliced some VERY thin slices.  I then made a little sauce out of sour cream, fresh dill, lemon juice, white pepper, and capers.  I layered the salmon onto the bread, sprinkled over some thinly sliced red onion, and then topped with the sour cream sauce.  NOW the weekend can begin.