I know I know, it’s been a while since my last post. I have been incredibly busy! I started a very exciting new job, which includes a 2 hour commute from subway to train to cab, and 2 states away. Actually that sounds much worse than just saying I’m commuting from New York to Philadelphia. Regardless, I feel like I’m constantly playing catch up with my posts!

We’re currently going through a heat wave in New York. It’s been pretty ridiculously hot lately. So cooking has been around things that do not involve the oven. Baking is completely not an option. The second I turn on the stove, my tiny New York apartment goes up 10 degrees. Okay that might be an exaggeration but it sure does feel like it. Lately, I’ve been relying on the rice cooker, salads, and good ol Menu Pages!

I updated a previous fennel salad with some different flavors and a slight kick. I love fennel as a salad, it’s so refreshing and flavorful. I added some red bell peppers for added sweetness and color. And for some kick, I added sliced jalapeño! Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small fennel blubs,
3 sprigs of fennel leaves
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped (or about a handful)
1 sprig of green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 limes
1 jalapeño, seeds removed
2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Step 1: Chop!
Cut your limes in half and then use a mandolin to slice the fennel into really thin slices. Make sure to squeeze some lime juice on top of the sliced fennel as soon as you transfer it to a bowl to prevent browning. Squeeze all your limes over the fennel and mix with your hands before you move on. Slice a small red bell pepper into thin strips or you can use the mandolin as well. Toss in the chopped cilantro and green onion. Rip apart the fennel leaves and throw those in as well.

The very last thing you should chop is the jalapeño. Be very careful - some people like to wear gloves even - jalapeños can burn your hands and your eyes if you’re not careful! De-seed the pepper and thinly slice. Make sure you wash your hands after! You can add just a few slices if you’re not into the heat.

Step 2: Dress & mix!
Now pour over the rice wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper (to your liking). Mix and refrigerate! I like to let the mixture sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the flavors blend.

You can always omit the jalapeño if you’re not into spicy things. The flavors will still work really well. I have some other recipes I’ve been meaning to post for a while so stay tuned!

However much I like to complain about rainy days, it’s actually nice to have a stormy weekend in every once in a while. It means I have time to finally read a book, clean the house and cook some food. Boy did I take advantage of it! I’ve been meaning to make a coffee cake ever since I saw a sour cream recipe in some magazine on a flight. Can’t remember the magazine, can’t even remember the flight. But I remember craving coffee cake!

So since I had the time, I played around with some recipes. I was mostly curious about the sour cream and then added blueberries for… antioxidants. The sour cream gave it this amazing texture and kept the cake nice and moist. The best part is that this is SO easy to make! Unfortunately I didn’t have any vanilla ice cream to go with it but some berry sorbet was a different but tasty substitute. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup + 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 1/2 sticks of cold butter (cut into cubes)
3 eggs
1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of blueberries (fresh preferred)

9×13 pan would be best but you can also split it up into 2 cast iron pans for a thicker rustic crust.

Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C

Step 1: The dry stuff!
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Using your hand or a food processor, combine the butter with the flour mixture until it is a coarse meal - you want the largest chunks to be only about a pea size. Set aside 1 1/2 cup of that butter/flour mixture for the crumble later.

Step 2: The wet stuff!
In another mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Just whisk until combined, don’t go crazy. Now add fold that into the flour mixture until just mixed evenly - FOLD not whisk! Now fold in the blueberries! Pour the mixture in a buttered 9×13 pan.

Step 3: The crumble!
Now find that extra flour mixture from before. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to it and mix. Sprinkle that mixture on top of the batter and pop in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes at 375°F or 190°C. It’s ready when you stick a toothpick down the middle and it comes out clean. If you’ve got a top broiler, you can pop the dish in for about 20-30 seconds to toast the crumble even more. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.

I recommend serving warm with some vanilla ice cream. Although I had it with a berry sorbet and it was delicious as well! Some whipped cream would be nice. Or just a cup of coffee. Mmm the possibilities. Enjoy!

I know, I know… I’ve been a missing in action. I have been meaning to post but Winter sure does have a way of making me lazy! New York City makes me want to order delivery for every meal - delicious food at my beckoning call! It’s no excuse but I gotta say, it sure is convenient!

So it’s been warming up a bit… this weekend we had 50 degree weather. Spring is in the air and I am determined to blog more. This dreary cold has got me day dreaming of my days in sunny Sydney. One of my favorite snacks at the gazillion coffee shops I go to is banana bread, toasted with a little bit of butter. But of course I added chocolate chips to my version. YUM! I bought bananas specifically to wait until they are ripe to make banana bread. It’s definitely one of those things that you have to plan for.

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter at room temp
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temp
1 cup of smashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 bananas)
1 tablespoon of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°F or 160°C

Step 1: Fluff & mix!
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time but make sure to combine each egg completely before adding in the other. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Also in another bowl (yes you’ll be using a lot of bowls!), combine the smashed banana, vanilla and milk.

Step 2: Combine!
After you whisk the eggs add in the banana mixture and combine completely. Now slowly add in the flour mixture little by little until it is all combined. Now fold in the chocolate chips and pour into a buttered 9×5 in loaf pan.

Step 3: Bake!
Pop the pan in the oven and bake at 325°F or 160°C for 1 hour 15 minutes. Poke a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clear, its ready. Let it cool for 15 minutes before trying to take it out of the pan.

Serve warm with a drizzle of honey or small spread of butter. I like the saltiness of the butter with the sweetness of the bread. I also like to add slices of fresh banana sometimes.

First off, I apologize for the recent lack of posts. Between the holidays creeping in and starting a new job, I feel like I barely have enough time to make tea! Luckily, this new job has a longstanding tradition of employees hosting a breakfast every Friday. This Friday is my turn!

I decided to make something simple yet jam packed with flavor. I would have liked to make one of my fritittas but it would be a little difficult transporting my cast iron to work! So I bring you, breakfast in one bite! Savory scones as a wholesome breakfast sandwich alternative. Well I can’t take credit for it, I got the idea from this little coffee shop I used to go to every morning in Sydney. I have been craving this for months but I finally have a good excuse to make a few batches.

You can really experiment with the ingredients but my all time favorite is tomato, basil and feta. Spinach and Swiss is a close second. I decided to make the tomato, basil, feta and a bacon, cheddar and green onion for the meat eaters. I’m much more of a savory person so this is my perfect breakfast all in one little scone. I hope the people at work like them as much as I do!

Ingredients:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 sticks of cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup of crumbed feta
3/4 cup of quartered cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
1/2 cup of basil, thinly sliced
1/2 cup of buttermilk
1 cold large egg
whole milk for brushing

Preheat oven to 425°F or 210°C

Step 1: Mix the dry stuff and prep the fillings!
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside for later. Chop your cherry tomatoes, slice your basil leaves and grate your cheese.

Step 2: Mix some more!
Now add in the cubed butter to your flour mixture. Crumble the butter up with your hands until you have a coarse meal. Now add in the Parmesan cheese, feta, tomatoes and basil to the flour mixture and mix together with your hands. Whisk together the buttermilk and the egg. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pour in the buttermilk and egg mixture. Use a fork to fold together the mixture and be careful not to over mix!

Step 3: Bake!
Line a muffin tray with muffin trays or parchment paper cut into squares. Scoop in about 2 large tablespoons of the dough or until about 3/4 full. Brush the tops of the dough with whole milk and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. The top will be golden brown and the center flaky. Set on a cooling rack to cool completely before storing but it’s best to serve them warm!

So the menu for the breakfast contains these savory scones, the bacon, cheddar and green onion version, biscuits with butter, plain scones with jam, yogurt and fresh fruit, and juice or tea. Mmmm can’t wait!

I love Thanksgiving. It might be my favorite holiday due to the fact that I get to cook for a couple days straight. Last year I was planning 2 months in advance! This year, I only had 2 days but I managed to pull it off. We had the usual fixings turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mac n cheese, cornbread and pumpkin pie.

Our fridge is packed to the brim with leftovers. Last year I made a Turkey Fritatta with our Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. Vini has been looking forward to that fritatta the whole year! This time, not only did I make that fritatta but I also came up with a Thanksgiving leftover pot pie…kind of a Shepard’s Pie as well. It’s got turkey, gravy, stuffing, and mashed potatoes all baked under a flaky puff pastry. If you still have some leftovers, you’ve gotta try this!

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed roasted turkey meat
1 cup of turkey broth (chicken or vegetable will work too)
3 tablespoons of turkey gravy
1/4 cup of stuffing
1/4 cup of mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
1 sheet of puff pastry, cut out to the size of your baking dish
1 egg
1 tablespoon of water

Preheat oven to 350°F or 180°C

Step 1: The soup!
If you have a small stove top and oven proof cooking dish then use that. If not, use a small pot and simmer 1 cup of broth with 1 cup of cubed turkey meat over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now add in the gravy and let that simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Now turn off the heat, then add in the cold stuffing and mix until combined. The bread will soak up some of the soup.

Step 2: Assemble!
If you are using the same dish in the oven, scoop on your cold mashed potatoes right on top of the soup. If not, transfer your soup into a baking dish and then scoop on your mashed potatoes. You can use a spoon or if you want to get fancy, you can pipe it on. Now sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. You can place this into the oven as is if you want a Shepard’s Pie or you can add on the puff pastry dough on top for a pot pie. Make sure you slot the top of your dough with a knife so the pie can breath when it bakes. Quickly whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water and brush on top of the pastry.

Step 3: Bake!
Place the baking dish with the pastry on a baking tray. And then place that baking tray in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F or 180°C. The pie will be nice and bubbly with a golden brown flaky crust. Your leftovers are now a brand new delicious dish!

The good news is that I’m making a tiny dent in my leftovers with all the crazy dishes I’m coming up with. Hopefully this dish will come in handy! Enjoy!

Yes it’s holiday season again. I feel like it hit really early this year. I heard Christmas music at Bloomies before Halloween! This year I’m so happy to be surrounded by all the amazing holiday paraphernalia. Pumpkins all over the place! Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, hams, you can’t miss it at any grocery store. Everyone gets into it. Starbucks with their special drinks, Dunkin Donuts with special holiday flavors so I figured it’s time for me to experiment with some pumpkin goodness.

We all love pumpkin pie. Those spices mixed with that rich pumpkin puree, mmmm mmm just reminds me of Fall. After 3 batches, I finally perfected the recipe for these scrumptious spiced pumpkin cookies. They’re more like muffin tops. Cakey and spongey like a moist muffin with a delicious maple icing on top. Perfect to fill the cookie jar for this holiday season!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree

1 3/4 cups of confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons of water

Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C

Step 1: The dry stuff!
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. If you are using pre-seasoned pumpkin pie puree, then do not add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. If you are using regular non-seasoned pumpkin puree, go ahead and add in the cinnamon, ginger and cloves to the dry ingredients. Whisk together to combine and set aside.

Step 2: Mix mix mix!
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and 1/2 cup of pack light brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. It should be well combined and almost light and fluffy. Now add in the egg and mix until combined. Now add in half the pumpkin puree, mix. Then add in half the flour and mix. Add in the rest of the pumpkin puree and mix. Now add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Careful to not over mix the flour.

Step 3: Bake!
Line a baking tray with a little bit of butter and then parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, scoop dough balls of about 2 inches on the baking tray about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake at 375°F or 190°C for 15-18 minutes. You can kinda tell if they’re done by the color, they turn a slight darker brown but not on the edges. If you see the edges browning, they are over done! Take them out of the oven and transfer the parchment onto a cooling rack. Let them cool completely.

Step 4: The icing!
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, maple syrup and water. It’ll be a bit tough but get it to a smooth consistency and make sure that sugar is combined! Now drizzle the icing over the cookies over the cooling rack. Let the icing set for at least 20 minutes before moving or packing the cookies.

Mmm, I’m having one with my morning tea. I couldn’t resist the maple icing! It’s the best part of a muffin in a sorta kinda cookie form. Chocolate drizzled on top in place of the icing would be great too. I’m sure I’ll be making another batch of these really soon. Gotta get my fill of pumpkin! Hope you enjoy them!

Momofuku Noodle Bar in the lower east side of Manhattan is one of those places that actually live up to the hype. I’ve read about it, heard about it and now witnessed the amazingness that is Momofuku. You tend to forget about the hour long wait and over anxious crowd after you sink your teeth into one of those pork buns. Or so I’m told, I had the vegetarian friendly shiitake mushroom buns and yes they were definitely worth the wait. Guess a couple of soju cocktails help as well!

Another reason why I love this place, they are vegetarian friendly and more than happy to accommodate my non-pork-belly eating ways. But carnivores, don’t worry, the pork is amazing. Vini absolutely loved his pork belly ramen… in fact, I think his exact words were, “I think this is better than the one I had in Japan.” Now that says a lot!

Pork & shiitake buns aside, it is all about the ramen. It is a noodle bar after all! I had the scallion and ginger noodles and they were definitely some of the best ramen I’ve ever had. Cooked spinach, sweet pickled cucumbers, finely chopped scallions, soft bamboo shoots and flavorful salty ginger bits all over a big ball of noodles. Hmm a toss up between this one and the vegetarian miso ramen from Ichiban Boshi in Sydney. This one might take the win.

Ginger Scallion Noodles

The Momofuku Ramen: pork belly, pork shoulder, chopped scallions, poached egg, with ramen noodles all swimming in a big bowl of pork broth.

The Momofuku Ramen - after

The photos don’t quite do the portion size justice. I cannot believe I watched Vini eat the entire thing. We had to tell the waiter not to take the dish away 3 times! We were obviously too full for dessert but the pie crust soft serve sounds like something I will definitely need to save room for next time. Momofuku also has a milk bar that serves a variety of equally quirky desserts… stuffing flavor soft serve?! Next time my friends, next time!

I used to think Mexican rice was this completely magical and impossible dish. Every family has a slightly different recipe and I seem to keep mixing the wrong ingredients in all the different recipes I’ve collected over the years. I just couldn’t perfect it. Sometimes I put too much spice, sometimes it’s too much broth and sometimes it’s not enough water. Really it took me a while to get it right and I cook Mexican food a lot! More so than any other cuisine, even Chinese actually. So after years of experimenting, here is my version of Mexican rice. It’s incredibly simple and incredibly delicious.

I found out where I was going wrong all these years. I kept trying to make a mix of Mexican rice and Spanish rice… two totally different dishes. Mexican rice, as I have known it growing up, has always been a tomato based rice that is pretty mild in taste compared to Spanish rice. It’s buttery and flavorful alone, but the key is how well it pairs with beans and the rest of your Mexican meal. I generally cook enough Mexican food to feed the block so this rice recipe makes a whole pot. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 cups of long grain rice
1 - 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup of  water
2 very generous pinches of sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of cayenne

Step 1: Sweat baby sweat!
Melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium pot (You’ll need a pot with lid!) over medium heat. Toss in the onions and garlic and let them sweat until a little translucent. Now add in another 2 tablespoons of butter and pour in the 2 cups of rice. Stirring frequently, cook the rice in the butter and onions until it is starting to brown a little. Make sure it doesn’t burn! That should be about 8 - 10 minutes. The rice will look an opaque white with a little bit light brown pieces here and there.

Step 2: Tomatoes!
Once the rice has been added and cooked, it’s time to add the can of tomatoes. Pour in all the juices from the can and using your hands, slowly crush the whole peeled tomatoes into the pot as well. Careful, this can get messy! Pour in about 1/4 cup of water (use a little more or less depending on how much juice your tomatoes made), add in the sea salt, fresh ground pepper and pinch of cayenne. Stir to make sure everything is mixed well. Bring that to a simmer and use a spoon to break down the tomatoes more if they are still too big.

Step 3: Cover and walk away!
Once it starts simmering, turn the heat down to very low, cover and let that cook for about 15-20 minutes. After about 15 minutes, uncover, mix and see if the rice is cooked through. The middle might be perfect but the top might still be a bit crunch… if that’s the case, mix it all up, turn off the heat and cover for about 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and serve!

Mexican rice goes with anything and it’s perfect by itself too. Try it with carne asada! Or with enchiladas. Serve with chili or even have it plain with a little dollop of sour cream and guacamole! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. It’s just about lunch time, I think I’ll put some rice IN a quesadilla for lunch. Mmmmm! Hope you like it!

Again, apologies for the poor photography!

People have been saying you can’t really find great Mexican food in New York. Actually, let me rephrase, you can’t find cheap good Mexican food. There are a few taco trucks around and some Chipotle’s here and there but that’s not the same. So I decided to make carne asada!

Carne asada is usually skirt or flank steak. I usually ask the butcher to trim off the fat and cut into 6 inch sections. It’s basically marinated and then grilled. For a good carne asada, it is ALL about the marinade. In LA you can find grocery stores with your skirt steak already marinading. A little tougher to find here. But I have a blend of flavors that are so delicious you’ll want to drink it! You’ll want to marinade the meat for at least 6 hours (best overnight!) to make sure the flavors are all in there. Grill it and there you have it, carne asada. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup of cilantro, leaves and stem
4 cloves of garlic
1 small yellow onion
1 jalapeño pepper
1 serrano pepper
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon of corriander seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of ground smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of ancho chili powder
1 dried red chili (use chipotle if you can find it)
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Step 1: Blitz blitz blitz!
In a food processor, combine the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño and serrano peppers. Pulse to make sure they are chopped up fine. Now add the onion and juices, chop until combined. Now add in everything else, corriander seeds, cumin seeds, paprika, chili powder, red chili, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Blitz until all combined! You can leave it a bit chunky if you want, but it should look like a salsa.

Step 2: Marinade!
In a large re-sealable plastic bag, toss in your steaks. Sprinkle a few pinches of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Rub it around a little. Now pour in the marinade and seal the plastic bag, try to squeeze out all the air. Not squish around the marinade to make sure it’s all over the steaks. Place in a tray to make sure it doesn’t drip and place in the fridge for 6 hours. If you can do this the day before, that’s even better!

Step 3: Grill!
If you have an outdoor grill, then go ahead and fire it up. If you don’t have a grill handy, you can use the broiler or pan fry on a cast iron. Anyway you want to cook it, first you want to take the meat out of the marinade and wipe off as much of the marinade as you can. Brush your grill or pan with a little olive oil and place the steaks on there. Grill the meat anywhere from 3-5 minutes each side depending on how thick it is. Time also depends on how well you want it done, some like it a little more pink than others. Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into strips.

Now to serve… you can serve the meat on top of small corn tortillas with some fresh chopped onions and cilantro for some tacos. You can add the meat in a burrito with guacamole, Mexican rice, beans and cheese. You can add the strips on top of a big chop salad. You can use it to make enchiladas! You can serve it whole as a piece of steak with some Mexican rice and beans. OR you can make it into a sandwich! Honestly, possibilities are endless. Hope you like it!

PS. I apologize for the bad flash lighting, still trying to figure out the best way to shoot in the new apt!

I’m starting a new series of posts called “NY Eats” for all the delicious places I come across in New York. Don’t worry, I’m still cooking and posting all my culinary adventures. But since New York has so many yummy eateries, I figured I’d better start writing them down before I forget. I already have a gigantic to-eat list filled with both famous and not-so-heard-of places, I can’t wait to try them all!

So for my first post of the series, I present to you my foodie friends, Asiadog! Delicious Asian inspired toppings on a hot dog. I absolutely love hot dogs. Well to be precise, veggie dogs. It’s hard to find veggie dogs but Asiadog not only serves veggie dogs, they top it with delicious toppings! And for you carnivores, they have beef and chicken franks as well as an organic option. Now for the toppings… my favorite was Vinh, Vietnamese pickled
carrot and daikon with cilantro and jalapeño. It was so good, I went back for seconds! They have other options like kimchi, curry, bbq pork, and Asian slaw. You can find Asiadog at Fort Greene Flea Market in Brooklyn on Saturdays, among their other locations (see website). I had mine at a special edition of the Brooklyn Bridge flea market on Sundays…. special guest: Martha Stewart!!!!

Don’t even get me started on how excited I was, hot dogs + Martha Stewart sighting, seriously made my day! I am loving New York!