True to My Roots

Due to a positively warranted situation, I have recently been spending a great deal of time in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the OTHER Puerto Rican salvation. 

In lieu of my temporary residence here, I decided to make a Boricua-inspired dish for my boyfriend Rubin and I. Needless to say, it was DELISH!

Featured below: 

Fried Plantains "Tostones"

Barbecued Short Pork Ribs

Sauteed Peppered Spinach and Baby Bella Mushrooms

Still think the plantains are bananas? Are you not able to understand the difference between the two? NO WORRIES! Please see this youtube video for help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAkz2hbmSSU

The basis of this dish is to be true to the heritage of my boyfriend and I, and prepare a well-portioned, flavorful meal. 

For more information regarding "Puerto Rican Cuisine", check out these helpful links:
http://www.topuertorico.org/culture/foodrink.shtml
http://www.elboricua.com/recipes.html


Cheers!

3 Tastes in 3 Days

Day 1: Japanese Curry done right.
GO GO Curry! in Midtown, Manhattan

www.gogocurryusa-ny.com

My Simple Review: Quick service, Good Food, Great Prices, Close Quarters.
Take Aways: Although it is established in a very small "hole-in-the-wall", Go Go Curry! brings the Japanese Curry punch with all it's vigor. One

What was ordered: 
1 small and 1 medium Katsu (Pork) Curry with a boiled egg.
Perfect meal for a night full of libations and merriment!

Day 2: Indian Surprise.
Candle Cafe in Upper East Side, Manhattan

http://www.candlecafe.com/

My Simple Review: A simple and friendly Restaurant in the Upper East Side that caters to the following: Vegan, Vegetarian-friendly, Health food, Smoothies/Juice Bar, Local/Organic.
Take Aways: I was impressed with the variety of choices on the menu in which were available. Flavorful, beautifully presented plates, Pricey (I guess it was alright seeing as it was located in the Upper East Side),

What was ordered: 
Vegetarian Indian Plate & a Hot Green Tea w/ Agave Nectar

Day 3: Thai. Always a good choice.
Lemongrass Grill in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

My Simple Review: Good service, Good Food, Good Atmosphere!
Take Aways: Large portions, awkward pop music playing, beautiful simple decor,

What was ordered:
Thai Fried Rice (w/ pineapple, tomatoes, onions, mixed peas, egg and Mock Duck

Pad Thai Rice Noodles (stir-fried with dried bean curd, bean sprouts, egg, Chinese chive and sweet & sour turnip, topped with fresh toasted peanut and Duck

To close:

If you are HUNGRY, health-conscious and weighing-heavy at the pockets, go to: CANDLE CAFE
If you are HUNGRY and are want some fried-goodness for a low price, go to: GO GO CURRY!
If you are unsure what to have, but are HUNGRY and are feeling adventurous and want to indulge in the wonderful tastes of Thailand, go to: LEMONGRASS GRILL

Cheers! and happy eating!

Scrum-didly-umptious!

::ring, ring ring:: Dinner time!!!

This masterpiece, I call:

The Meaty Macaroni and Cheese Surprise!

To start, I boil Elbow Macaroni in chicken stock, then strain. I then transported the Macaroni to a glass casserole dish and layer in slices of Monterrey Cheese, alfredo sauce and italian breadcrumbs. Bake in oven on 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 mins (or until the sauteed veges & beef are cooked).  

In a separate pan, I sauteed center-cut bacon, beef cubes, white button mushrooms, and broccoli in a black pepper seasoned extra virgin olive oil. 

Serve with barbecue sauce (the flavor of your choice) ontop of the beef, and place in a beautiful dish of your choice, I decided on a porcelain decorated bowl.

Enjoy! 

And for dessert:

The Peanut Butter & Blue-Jelly Sandwich

Simply add fresh sliced blueberries to your PB&J sandwich to add flavor, daily fruit serving (vitamins), and excitement! 

I hope this thread was helpful, inviting and inspiring! 

Cheers!

Time to Re-route

For those of you who have been following me, I thank you.
I feel it is time for me to re-route and have 2 separate pages, or blogs if you will, to imitate my passions in life: sharing the images of things I find the most full of beauty and inspiring others through sustainable, healthy food choices.

You can find my image-based site here: http://thelacefiles.tumblr.com/

Continue on generating time to this food-based blog and you will NOT be disappointed (or you will, but that's your prerogative I guess).

Cheers!

DUMBO. Not for Elephants.

Stumbling upon The Dumbo Arts Festival in DUMBO Brooklyn with my significant and extraordinary Rubin, I took a random assortment of shots from my phone depicting the overarching feel of the event. These images were taken September 29th, during the night portion of the visit. The festival was a celebration of art, music and performance. I hope you are able to enjoy the snippet of photos collected. 

Cheers!

Perfect luminescence. 

 

"Trailer" Art

My life, in art form.

Carousel beneath the Brooklyn Bridge.

Antiquities.

 Photobooth fun + graffiti art. Sign me up!

Only in BK.

'Bama rama. All day.

 Can you paint?

Who knew?

That I would find the warmest, most passionate place inside of me and set it free by means of osmosis...

 Pottery could seem so risque?

Redbull not only gives you wings, but explodes in freezers:

Yayoi Kusama  would be my "forever muse"?

Some Tunes

Recently, I have had an influx of exciting psych-instrumental-trance music. I would like to take this time to share with you my favorites of the bunch (shown below with image snippets from their music videos):

Bonobo - Eyesdown feat. Andreya Triana

Grimes - Genesis

Animal Collective - Today's Supernatural

Kwikfiks - I love you

Visual Appeal #1

Darling, rest your head.

Diesel.

Prospect Park Expressway

Tornado, in Brooklyn?

Room for Dessert?

Ferrara's!!! Enough said. Check out their website for a first look to see what they offer: Ferrara Bakery & Cafe. It is such a treat to enter the edifice with shelves full of baked goods, mirrors lining the walls and smiling faces of contentment. 

Shown below (left to right):

Strawberry, Blueberry and Raspberry Tarts

Hand-dipped, Hand-Filled Frozen Chocolate Cannolis and Cannoli Specials (My Fave!!!)

Chocolate-Covered Eclairs

Palmier's or Cinnamon Elephant's Ear Cookies

So what are you waiting for, take your special someone and some friends and visit!

195 Grand Street
between Mulberry & Mott St.
(212) 226-6150

Hours of operation:
Open 7 days a week
Sunday-Friday 8am- Midnight
Saturdays 8am- 1am

Mediterranean Buzz

One overcast evening in New York, a few Alumni and myself from the Birthright-Israel Culinary Trip of 2012 decided to reunite over a Mediterranean Meal. Thoroughly engaged in good eats, it was decided that we meet at Kefi, a beautiful Greek Taverna at 505 Columbus Avenue in Upper West Side Manhattan. This gem of a restaurant is tucked away amongst bodegas and personal shopping stores alike on the bustling Columbus Avenue. I was honored to have the opportunity to enjoy Greek Cuisine at such an intimate location.

After a while of reviewing the extensive Menu, I opted for a humble-sized entree (see image provided below): Mithia (Mussels), Gigantes (Gigante Beans), and Feta. It was as scrumptious as it looked! Everything about this dish complemented eachother; from the bits of lightly poached tomatoes to the cool mouth-feel of crumbled Feta with a warm sweet broth and Mussels to finish, this dish was well thought out. I advise every shellfish lover to try this dish!

Our Meals are Big Deals

As a "Home Cooking Advocate", I highly regard cooking in the privacy, space and comfort of your home with the ones you care about most. 

In the featured photos below, my significant other and I made unique and tasty meals. Through willful excursions to grocery stores and strategic conversations over food options, we had a blast creating quick, easy, and fun dishes that left us no choice but to rave about. 

Penne pasta dressed with sauteed spanish onions, sweet baby portobella mushrooms, fresh garlic, green peas and poached calamari with italian breadcrumbs and black pepper, covered in a creamy alfredo sauce and mild tomato sauce. 

Sitting out in the Sun in a Brooklyn yard, we decided to grill up some Pork Chops, with a side of lightly sauteed baby portabella mushrooms, baby spinach and a side of raw baby carrots. Oh, and don't forget the INCREDIBLY delicious spanish rice! 

Our lovely recreation of the "Sloppy Joe". 

Made with fresh ground Pork, seasoned to perfection with a cajun mix, sweet barbecue, adobo seasoning topped with mexican shredded cheeses and fresh slices of avocado with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, on a kaiser roll, this sandwich will leave you feeling "fully" satisfied.

What can I say, we're a great team! 

Balaboosta!

I recently dined at Balaboosta Restaurant in Nolita with some fellow Israel travellers and my wonderful Significant other, a foodie in the making! Their leading lady, Chef Einat has created a blog to represent the dining facility, her creative food process, personal life, and more! (The Balaboosta-way Blog). Not only does she describe my passionate and creative relationship with food, but shares her feelings and life story with her audience so that we can relate to her on a stronger level. What genius!!!

The photos below are just SOME of the phenomenal dishes in which we enjoyed at the lovely restaurant:

House Made Beet Pasta with Spinach, Garlic, Ricotta, and herbed Breadcrumbs 

Crispy Cauliflower with currants, pine nuts & lemon

Grilled Lamb Chops with persian lime sauce, bulgur imjadra, cucumber-cilantro salad, labne

Spice Rubbed Skirt Steak with roasted salsify, oyster mushroom and sauteed green beans, tomato vinaigrette

As per this gem of a restaurant and it's impeccably talented Chef, I chose this specific post Summertime Craving for your enjoyment.

Get into it and check it out!

Singing off...

Is it real?

Israel. Israel? ISRAEL! What a beautiful, culturally diverse and historically sound country.
For 2 weeks in the summer of 2012, I had the pleasure and opportunity to visit "the motherland" on a Culinary Birthright trip. I was fully immersed in the culture, language, food and people! 30 other candidates from all around the United States, my very own sister included, had joined in on the excursion along with 10 Israeli soldiers (see a photo of the crew below).

This photo was taken just after everyone took a Black Mud Bath at the Dead Sea. Fun fact: It is the lowest point on Earth at 394.6 meters (1269 feet) below sea level.

This was my consistent happy face. 

We travelled from the North (Galilee) to the South (Negev Desert), out to the East by the West Bank and as far West as the Gaza Strip. Along the way, I entrusted the multiple shutter speeds of my camera to collect STILL FRAMES of the EDIBLES along the way. Please enjoy the photos provided:

Jaffa, the city of art and creative freedom

First dinner at Sima's in Jerusalem

Arab Desserts

The best Schnitzel in all of Israel at Cafe Noir

Colorful Candies at the Jerusalem Market

Chocolate Tomatoes

Agricultural Farm in the Negev Desert

Dried Fruits from the Jerusalem Market

Eggplant. One of the seven foods of Israel

Felafel Pita Sandwich with a Berry Ice!

Figs!!!

Hummus with Tahina and Goat Cheeses

Halva Cakes

Olives and Tahina

Assorted Finger Foods!!!

Beautiful Mural in Jerusalem

Mmm. Fresh, rolled breads!

Pomegranates. Super fruits!

Soaps made from Olives

Assorted Spices from the Market