The Course Series: Breakfast

Ok, so NoSh is back in business. 

WELCOME BACK!

With the massive number of photos I've compiled over the past few months, rather than throw them all at you at once, I've decided to split them into four posts: 

1) Breakfast

2) Plated

3) Handhelds

&

4) Sweets

Today will be breakfast, and keep a look out for the rest in the near future.

Alright, less talking, more looking.

Cue pictures.

~~~~~

 BREAKFAST

Mexican Mocha

(a latte with "spicy cocoa", almond and cinnamon)

[Coffee Obsession, Falmouth, MA]

Fresh blueberry pancakes with fresh fruit salad topping and maple syrup

[The Paramount, Boston, MA]

Summer means fresh blueberries. I went blueberry picking for the first time in my life this summer, and it just makes me want to pick all fruits myself. On my life list: apples, pumpkins, strawberries (see below), peaches. All of which would go well in pancakes, btw.

Fresh, locally-produced strawberry jam

[Pumpkin Paul's Strawberry Patch, Storrs, CT]

Though we didn't get to pick our own strawberries, I was able to pick up this jar of jam. I try to take advantage of any chance I have to buy local, especially when I get to see the farm itself! 

Red Flannel Hash with poached eggs and Hollandaise

[Henrietta's Table, Cambridge, MA]

Went here for my birthday brunch, and it was wonderful. I love hash - corned beef, browns, whatever - and this came in its own cast iron skillet. My experience tells me that anything that comes in a skillet has to be good (especially cornbread!).

Malasada

[Mary Ellen's Portugese Bakery, Falmouth, MA]

Not quite the same as Leonard's in Honolulu, but it was a welcome reminder of the classic Portugese fried dough/doughnut. No matter if you spell it with one s or two, the breakfast sweet is lightly yeasty and best eaten hot right out of the oil and rolled in sugar. 

Omelet with portabella mushrooms, spinach, and chévre; baguette toast, and homefries

[Kingston Station, Boston, MA]

I'm kind of obsessed with chévre (pronounced shev-ruh) - or goat cheese. The pure white, super creamy, tangy cheese is perfect on bread, in salads, or...on anything really. You can pair it with sweet or savory, too - it's delicious with fig spread on crackers or stuffed with rosemary in chicken.

Certified Hawai'i Organic Hayden Mango

[KCC Farmer's Market]

When summer rolls around, one of the main things I look forward to is mango season. Hawai'i has some of the best mangoes in the world, and because they can be pricey a smart move is to make friends with someone who has a tree. 

Sticky bun

[Flour Bakery, Boston, MA]

Flour's sticky buns are ridiculous! I mean just look at the thing. It's glazed in real caramel - the dark, buttery sauce, none of this artificial stuff out of a jar. It's also topped with toasted pecans for some texture. Sure, it's not the cleanest thing to eat, but I swear half the fun is licking your fingers off when you're done.

Scrambled eggs, fruit salad, toast, bacon, and homefries

[Gargoyles on the Square, Somerville, MA]

Davis Square is just chock full of great shops: coffee, vintage, cupcakes, bread, barbecue,consignment, smoothies & burritos being the ones I've discovered thus far. I originally wanted to go to Gargoyles to try out their poke, but since we went for brunch they weren't offering it yet. I'll just have to go back.

Indian Akoori scrambled eggs with parathas bread

[Toscanini's, Cambridge, MA]

This ice cream shop does brunch on weekends - and both are excellent. They have everything from pancakes to eggs to croissants and muffins - and to make things even better, they have a great selection of coffees and teas.

Whole Wheat French Bread

[Iggy's Bread of the World, Prudential Farmers Market, Boston, MA]

If you ask me what my favorite food is, I'll tell you carbs. Yeah, it's kind of a cop-out...but there are just way too many foods that I like. However, bread is definitely up there on the list - I love everything from pain de mie to sourdough to foccacia. There are a few bakeries in Boston, the ones I have visited including: Clear Flour Bakery (amaaazing), not to be mistaken with Flour Bakery (which is more focused on ready-to-eat food than specifically bread); When Pigs Fly - which offers free samples (at least at the Davis Square location); and Panera Bread, which is a chain that serves hearty comfort food. Clear Flour is the best place to get super fresh, artisan breads - I wish my house always smelled like this place.

Stay tuned for the next post - hopefully coming soon.

Happy December (I hope you've all gotten your advent calendars...I've yet to find one with actually good chocolate), here's hoping for snow in Boston before I leave!

'Tis the season for eggnog, gingerbread, and regifting fruitcake,

C

The Local Challenge: Hawaii

I'm proud to say I was a locavore. At least for a day.

After reading books and articles about the OED's new word of the year, I decided I was going to spend one entire 24 hour period eating STRICTLY local. No "Marco Polo Rule" - meaning even my spices, salt and sugar had to be grown or produced within the Hawaiian islands. 

Stop and think about that for a second. 

Think about the last meal you ate. How much of it came from the same state, or even the same country that you're in right now? If you had a banana or coffee, it's pretty much guaranteed that it came from outside the country.

Honestly, though, eating local wasn't that bad. There's definitely a reason I chose to undergo this challenge while at home as opposed to some other state (I did adjust the usual 100-mile radius rule a bit as most of the space between islands is water) - Hawaii has, much to my own surprise, a huge variety of local products.  Sure, we have pineapple and other fruits, but we also have eggs, dairy and beef, tons of fish, vegetables, herbs, sugar, salt, nuts, and oil. Oh yeah, and we have apple bananas and coffee - so we're the one exception to that aforementioned assumption. 

We do not have many things, though. No olive oil, pepper, wheat or yeast (read: no bread, much to my dismay),  and - this almost killed me - no garlic. I ran around the Kapiolani Community College Farmer's Market (Saturdays from 7:30-11:30) searching for it, but was heartbroken when I found out it's just too expensive to grow it in the islands. Let's just say it was pretty hard to marinate meat and make a dressing without the stuff. 

Everything, and I mean everything, in the following pictures and recipes was grown and produced in Hawaii. If you're there, no excuses about not knowing how to go about being a locavore. If you don't happen to find yourself in the 50th state, I urge you to take ideas and apply them to your region of residence. It might require some research about what local foods are available to you (check out this site for local foods by state), but for the freshness and warm, fuzzy do-good feeling you get by helping the environment - it's completely worth it. Farmer's markets make eating local easy! I got most of my ingredients at the KCC Farmer's Market in Honolulu, so I'm sure you can have comparable luck at your local market. But enough with the chit chat and on to the important stuff - the food! 

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BREAKFAST

...begins with coffee. Kona, of course.

Harem's Old Tree Estate Mild Blend 100% Kona Coffee

The beans.

Course ground to be steeped in a french press.

To sweeten: Either raw cane sugar or Lehua honey.

Fresh papaya with Lime

Ka Lei Egg Omelet with Maui Onions sautéed in macadamia nut oil, Big Wave red and orange tomatoes, and fresh organic sage lightly pan-toasted.

 Season with freshly ground sea salt.

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Naked Cow Dairy Fresh Cream Unsalted Butter

Used to make:

Herb Butter

Mix coarsely chopped rosemary, sage, green onions, and thyme into butter. Used for seared ahi: see below.

And

Hawaiian Vanilla Butter

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some locally grown Hawaiian vanilla beans (which are from an orchid plant, much unbeknownst to most - that's why there's a picture of an orchid on vanilla yogurt). Sorry, but this is another Hawaii exception - most vanilla is from Mexico, Madagascar, and West and Central America. If you just want to make your own vanilla butter for another day, just scrape out the seeds from the pod and mix into butter.

- Used to make bananas fauxster: see below.

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LUNCH

Seared Ahi Salad with Mixed Greens, Salsa, and Pomelo

To make, you'll need:

 

Ahi

Not necessarily whole, but I wanted to learn how to filet a fish so I bought one at Tamashiro's. Whichever fish you choose, cut into about 1-inch x 1-inch long strips. Spread herb butter (see above) on all sides of all strips, and sear very quickly in a very hot pan. Depending on how cooked you like your fish (I prefer almost-sashimi), it may take anywhere from three to eight seconds on each side (but no more than that). Slice into pieces and plate on top of greens.

Garnish with:

Fresh Tomato, Onion, and Sage Salsa

Chop up whatever vegetables you want to have with your fish and salad - it will serve as a sort of dressing.

and

Pomelo

Also known as Jabong and Chinese grapefruit. It's the largest citrus fruit and can be slightly bitter if not ripe. I had this one lying around in the house - a gift from a neighbor, probably - so I threw it on the salad at the last minute. The sweetness and juiciness was lovely with the fish and greens.

See how pretty it turns out? Delicious, too.

 

Fresh Pineapple Sorbet

To make it, this is all you'll need:

½ fresh pineapple, 1 cup water, 3 tbsp. Maui raw sugar,

plus a freezer. You might want to do this first thing in the morning or the day before, to account for freezing time (2+ hours)

Directions:

Dissolve sugar in water. Cut up pineapple removing top, spines, and core. Purée pieces in food processor and add sugar water and combine. Place into a freezer safe container and freeze, stirring every hour. If sorbet becomes a solid mass, just rake with a fork to break into granita-like consistency. Serve as is or with fresh pineapple garnish.

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DINNER

North Shore Cattle Co. Flank Steak 

with homemade papaya sauce, fresh seaweed garnish, 

baked sweet potato chips, and roasted eggplant with fresh herbs

To make, you'll need:

Flank Steak

Marinate overnight in:

Papaya Marinade

½ fresh papaya, seeds and skin removed
¼ cup Macadamia nut oil
Juice and zest of ½ lime
½ Maui onion, chopped
1 tbsp. Lehua honey

Directions:

Put all ingredients in food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Set aside some for finished dish. Place the rest into a large plastic Ziploc and add steak; seal and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready for dinner:

Remove steak from bag and scrape marinade off. Heat macadamia oil in pan, meanwhile rub fresh herbs on steak. Cook meat to desired doneness; remove from pan and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with:

Baked sweet potato chips

Slice sweet potato into very thin slices (think potato chips). Spread onto a pan drizzled with macadamia oil and salt, then drizzle more oil and salt on top of potatoes. Bake in a 375°F oven until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Roasted eggplant with fresh herbs

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds, slice rounds in half. Prepare the same way as the sweet potatoes, but sprinkle with fresh crushed herbs and bake until browned and soft.

Fresh-squeezed Virgin Mojito

To make, you'll need:

Juice of 2 limes
4 mint leaves, chiffonade
Maui Gold sugar, to taste
Water
Finely crushed Ice

Directions:

In a bowl crush mint in lime juice with back of a wooden spoon. Dissolve sugar into water in separate bowl, then add to lime-mint mixture. Pour into two glasses, add crushed ice and water to taste. Mix well, and garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig. 

Fresh Mango with (Apple) Bananas Fauxster

Yeah, I made up the name since real bananas foster contains banana liqueur - sadly, not produced in Hawaii. Ultimately, it's just apple bananas sautéed in the vanilla butter outlined earlier.

 

See?

Yum.

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Essential ingredients I used:

Hawaii's Gold Macadamia Nut Oil

This oil saved me. It let me sauteé vegetables (for the omelet), sear the ahi, and make the marinade and sauce for the steak. I found it at Long's.

Maui Onions

These were of the smaller variety but worked great for the salsas, marinade, and salad. Milder than white or yellow onions so can be used raw.

Hawaiian Sea Salt

Salt is essential to bringing out flavor, especially of meats. Just be careful not to use too much.

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Local is delicious.

No one expects you to eat entirely local everyday, but just making an effort and changing one or two items in your menu makes a difference.

Even better?

By eating so many fruits and veggies, local can also be lo-cal.

Just don't go too crazy with the butter.

the NEW (york) edition

Welcome to Nosh Shots in its brand new home! 

After four exclusively-photo-no-commentary posts on the CM Food Diaries, NoSh has opted to go independent as well as undergo expansion to better strive towards realizing its full potential. From here on out, you may notice some fiddling with format, content, and style, all in the hopes of making your visit more appetizing.

If you have been following NoSh, before today, you only knew three things about each food:

1) what it was called, 2) where it was from, and 3) how delectable it looked.

It only occurred to me later that this may not be enough.

Questions that may have arisen in your mind during previous NoSh viewings:

- What the hell is poke or açaí and how do I even go about pronouncing them?

- Of those 15+ cupcakes, which one was the best?

- Were those chicken strips from Friendly's really as good as they look? (Answer: Of course not.)

I apologize now for leaving you with so many unsettled queries. After all, NoSh is about enlightenment as much as it is about eye candy.

In this new generation, you can expect:

Super-macro photographs, names, and sources, as usual.

A NoSh deliciousness rating of 1-7, 1 being a waste of calories and cash and 7 being "your life will not be complete without trying this".

A short blurb to define what exactly the food is, if it is not blatantly, universally obvious, and any other relevant comments I feel inclined to add.

To celebrate the launch of NoSh, the food in this issue are from a recent trip to New York City. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the house special: food for thought. 

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vegetable pakora, garlic naan, spicy sweet onion relish

[himalaya india restaurant, manchester, ct]

So this isn't in New York. It was the first time two of my friends were eating Indian food, though, so it's still "new".

- Pakora is a South Asian battered and fried snack, in this case, containing onions, potatoes, and spinach. It's very similar to Japanese tenpura (which I opt to spell with an 'n', as that is how it's technically pronounced).

- Naan refers to a delicious, soft, oven-baked flatbread...but don't say "naan bread" because then you'll just be saying "bread bread."

- The relish: I'm not sure what the real term is – I've searched all over to no avail. Needless to say, all Indian restaurants have it as a condiment and it's bright red, onion-y, and delicious on pretty much everything.

(5) - I've had better, but it was tasty for a buffet and the naan was soft and garlicky. Couldn't beat the price of $7.99 either.

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[moca asian bistro, forest hills, queens, ny]

vietnamese summer rolls with green papaya, carrots, onion, cucumber, mint, greens, and shrimp

- Summer rolls are not fried and are usually comprised of fresh vegetables and shrimp or pork enveloped in a rice wrapper. I think they're best served cold with some kind of sweet chili dipping sauce.

(3) - They were pretty to look at, but bland, bland, bland. Sadly, the sauce didn't help much either.

shrimp tenpura and avocado uramaki

- I assumer you've all eaten shrimp tenpura, aka lightly battered and deep-fried shrimp. As alluded to above, if you pronounce it "ten-poo-rah", not "ten-poor-a" and you'll sound that much smarter. 

p.s. Anything tenpura is awesome in fresh sushi...it adds a delectable crunch factor.

- Uramaki refers to "inside-out" sushi with the nori (seaweed paper) on the inside and rice on the outside. It's a type of makizushi (mah-key-zoo-shee), or rolled sushi. 

(4) - Average, ok, I've had better. I think I'm just spoiled from the quality of Hawaii's sushi, though.

Location note: Though the food is meh, I have to say that MoCA is freaking swanky. Neon lights light up the tables and walls, waterfalls and rotating statues surround you, and the bathrooms - well, I can only speak for the ladies' - is a destination in itself. I wouldn't go back for lunch, but I half expect the place to turn into a nightclub after dark.

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[martha's country bakery, forest hills, ny]

red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting

- Red velvet cake is commonly associated with the South - which I love - and is said to have been originally dubbed as such due to the reaction the acidic buttermilk has with the cocoa that turns it a reddish-brown color. Same goes for devil's food (cue collective "ohhhhh"). That being said, I hold that a real red velvet cake contains cocoa.

- I judge a cupcake shop on its red velvet. I expect to have a very moist cake with fine crumb and dark red tint (not a fake bright red), and I have a soft spot for cream cheese frosting (a butter roux frosting is sometimes used). Either way, the frosting and cake should compliment each other well and not be sickeningly-sweet.

(2) - Don't let the picture fool you - the cupcake was just crushed in my bag, not devoured. I'm sorry, but it just wasn't good. Dry and tasteless with forgettable frosting - I can usually at least finish these little cakes, but it just wasn't worth it. I threw it out.

Location note: Down the street from MoCA, Martha's Country Bakery is adorable and out of place in the middle of Forest Hills, and as the pictures show, the decor, presentation, and selection are impressive. I wanted to like it, I really did. I guess I just chose the wrong thing?

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[piu bello gelato, forest hills, ny]

irish cream cookie gelato

- Gelato is similar to ice cream, except is often made with milk rather than cream and therefore has a lower butterfat content (<5%)>10%).

- Other liquors and alcohol are also used in gelati as flavorings, including amaretto, rum, Kahlua, and even whiskey.

(6) - I love irish cream, and the chocolate cookie pieces plus the chocolate Ruger-like wafer pieces made this gelato heavenly. Nomnomnom.

Location note: The selection here is huge...I think I paced back and forth in front of the glass display cases for a good ten minutes before deciding. If you're indecisive, be forewarned. They have as many sorbetto flavors as gelato, and they also offer table service, baked goods, and drinks.

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"tropical paradise bar" with coconut and passionfruit

[starbucks, east village, ny]

- I, being a sucker for all things lilikoi (that's passionfruit in Hawaiian), decided to grab one of these bars despite my previous history with Starbucks' food (read: overpriced and unexceptional). I also love how anything with "tropical" or "paradise" in the name can be automatically assumed to contain coconut, pineapple, lilikoi, and/or mango.

(3) - Not good, not horrendous, not lilikoi-y enough. Not worth the 300 calories, the 16g of fat, or the swipe of my gift card.

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[chikalicious dessert club, east village, ny]

s'mores cupcake

- This cupcake fulfilled its title with a chocolate cake, chocolate-filled center, and browned marshmallow topping. I suspect they smooth it on and then torch it...mmm, toasty. 

(6) - I ate this a day after I purchased it, and it was still delicious. I don't usually like chocolate cake, but it was moist and with the truffle-like filling and that darned marshmallow pillow on top...let's just say there was much licking of fingers.

red velvet cupcake

- My second try at red velvet for this trip. See above for history of the cake.

(5) - It was smaller than the last, but cheaper - and SO much better. Moist, slightly chocolaty, and the icing was nice. Not bad. I think the catastrophic nature of the last one made this seem that much better in comparison.

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[cafe habana, nolita, ny]

grilled corn mexican style

- This Mexican, or Cuban-style street food is also known as elote. It's smothered in mayo, rolled in cotija cheese, generously dusted with cayenne chili powder and served with lime wedges. Butter or sour cream and other spices and herbs are sometimes substituted or added.

- Cotija is a hard cow's milk cheese from Mexico that is quite salty - if you're making your own elote but lack cotija, you can substitute parmesan.

 

(5) - Hot from the grill, my snazzed up cob was sweet from the corn, salty from the cheese, spicy from the cayenne, and smoky from the charred edges all in one. I'd pay $2 for this any day (you get 2 for $4). And I swear I didn't know it was mayo.

enchiladas de mole poblano

- Enchiladas are corn tortillas wrapped around some kind of meat, bean, vegetable, or combination thereof, served hot and smothered in a tomato-chili pepper sauce. I think they're best with some kind of cheese on top.

- Mole poblano is a Mexican sauce made from dried chili peppers, ground nuts, spices, Mexican chocolate (which contains sugar and cinnamon), salt, and sometimes onions and garlic. Mole poblano is what you probably think of when you hear "mole" in the US - in Spanish, mole actually refers to many generic sauces. And it's pronounced "mo-lay", but you knew that.

Note: Cafe Habana makes their own mole in-house, sans the chocolate.

(4) - I wanted to try this because of the mole, but for a chicken enchilada, it was just - a chicken enchilada. Nothing special. Maybe I'm just not an enchilada connoisseur?

tlacoyo de tres marias

- Tlacoyos are oval-shaped masa (cornmeal dough - the stuff corn tortillas and tamales are made from) cakes, often stuffed and served as a side. 

- I assume the "Tres Marias" refers to the Brazilian city and perhaps their version of tlacoyos: stuffed with goat cheese, black beans, and sun-dried tomatoes.

(6) - Intense goat cheese flavor, but I love goat cheese, so it was amazing. The sun-dried tomatoes added flavor and sweetness, and the fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on top made sure the masa "boat" was never dry. I usually have no taste for Mexican rice, either, but I finished it all. Burp. 

Location note: This place is small. And popular. I'm not sure if you can make reservations, but I'd recommend doing so. And no, I did not eat all of this by myself - I split it, something I'd recommend doing so you can try more dishes. Also: the fried plantains are amaaazing. They're caramelized and dark on the outside and almost buttery on the inside - not the prettiest dessert, but your mouth trumps your eyes on this one.

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matcha soft serve

[kyotofu, midtown west, ny]

- Matcha is a finely-powdered Japanese green tea traditionally mixed with hot water for chanoyu, or Japanese tea ceremonies. Depending on the amount of powder used, the tea is classified into either usucha, "thin", or koicha, "thick".

- More recently, matcha has been utilized as a flavoring and topping, as it is here in this soy soft serve. The best green tea ice cream I've had is from Dave's Ice Cream in Hawaii, which I always get if I don't order the pineapple sherbet at Tanaka of Tokyo (which, for the record, is so much better than Benihana).

(5) - Smooth, creamy, matcha-y - soy? The namesake ingredient, found in practically everything, makes the dessert menu seem like Iron Chef: Tofu Edition. Some might be put off by tofu in their dessert, but hey, if it's healthier and tastes this good, I think a lot of people will be changing their minds about bean curd.

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chicken pesto pita melt with red bell peppers

[trolley's deli and pizza, union square, ny] (I think)

- The difference between pita and naan is that pitas do not contain yogurt and are often marked by their pocket. However, this may very well, then, have been a naan wrap as I don't recall seeing a pocket; the flatbread was also very soft and chewy, as naan tends to be. Either way, it made a fantastic on-the-run lunch: handheld, filling, and freshly toasted in a panini press. 

- Pesto is amazing. Take five ingredients: basil, pine nuts, olive oil, parmigiano-reggiano, and LOTS of garlic - and you're a blend away from one of the best pasta, bread, and meat toppings in existence. There are lots of variations, but this classic is my favorite.

(4) - The unnamable, yet oh-so-familiar opaque "cheese" holding all the grilled chicken and pesto in was strangely comforting in that Where-have-I-eaten-this-before? kind of way. It was hot, the bread was soft, and the portion was generous - good enough for me.

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spinach, garlic, tomato, feta, ricotta, and mozzarella pizza

[red rock café, storrs, ct]

Sorry, also not in the Empire State, but thought it qualified as "new" as it was my first ricotta pizza.

- Ricotta is made from the whey of cow or goat's milk. Whey is the liquid left over after curds are separated out from milk to make cheese - you know, the liquid in cottage cheese. (That's right, Little Miss Muffet was just sitting on her stool eating cottage cheese.) Ricotta isn't technically a real cheese though, since it's not made from whole milk. It is used for both sweet and savory purposes: I love it in both lasagna and cannolis.

- Feta is a Greek cheese, traditionally made from sheep's milk and up to 30% goat's milk. In the US, what is called feta is commonly of the cow's milk variety, which in Greece would be called telemes, not feta. It's a brined, aged cheese, contributing to its salty and dry characteristics. Great in small doses on Greek salads and spanakopita (a savory spinach and onion-filled phyllo dough pie).

(3) - It came out hot and smelled amazing, but it turned out to be quite small and far too lumpy for my tastes (haha, that's what she said). I know now that curds have no business in my pizza...they might also be to blame for the mozzarella getting disconcertingly stiff as it cooled. I miss Boston's and T's, and, well, real New York style pizza.

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slow-roasted warm turkey sandwich with cranberry mayo

[carnegie deli, foxwoods casino, ct]

- Also not technically in New York, but the original Carnegie Deli is in midtown Manhattan and has a huge menu, with a version of this sandwich that is named the "Nosh, Nosh Nanette": hot turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, served open-style with French fried potatoes or baked beans and creamy cole slaw. I've never been, but I understand that "The Woody Allen" is the famous sandwich with pastrami and corned beef literally a foot tall...for $18, you could probably make three meals out of it. I'll make it there someday.

(4) - Got there right as they opened so everything was fresh (or so I hope) - at least the turkey was warm. I opted for the poultry because the pastrami and corned beef sandwiches didn't come with lettuce or tomato and I felt like having veggies. Though there was a large layer of turkey, the cranberry mayo got lost in it and it was more of just a typical turkey sandwich with extra turkey; I ended up pulling a good amount out. The best thing about the meal? It surprised me too: the coleslaw. I'm not usually a fan as I find most too acidic or swimming in mayo, but this one was just - creamy. Literally. I think they use heavy cream and no vinegar, and the result is a cold, crunchy, and surprisingly decadent salad. If it's anything like the stuff they serve in the City, you can bet I have a new source - and taste - for slaw.

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I hope you learned something NEW - about me, about you, about food.

Cities like New York are ideal for trying all sorts of cuisines - there's always something you haven't tried yet. For me, that's exciting and overwhelming simultaneously - I'll never get bored but I'll never be done.

I guess that just means I'll have to do more eating, and soon.

And that, of course, means more blogging.

Won't you join me?