Full Belly Alchemist

She's Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 00:57:00 +0000

Hey blogosphere!

It's been a very long time since I wrote here, and for that I am sorry. Lots of things have been going on in my life, and my poor Full Belly Alchemist was neglected for some time.

Sometimes life is like that. Since I was last on here I've been through three jobs, sixty pounds of weight loss, a move to another part of my beloved Queens, an engagement and a marriage!

Those could be considered distractions :)

I've worked in helping feed the homebound elderly, to helping refugee and displaced women and children, to now helping kids with financial literacy, college and career readiness. The experiences in all three are ones I'll never forget.

While tasty foods are delicious, I am learning that I feel better eating healthier, and that I really appreciate the perhaps less than healthy stuff if I have it occasionally, and really savor it.

There will be a bit of both here, but the good thing is when you become selective, you make those bites count!! Better quality, less quantity.

That and The Fisherman and I make some damn good veggies!

Speaking of the Fisherman, we got engaged and then got married. It was epic, and involved bacon roses, Doughnut Plant as wedding cake, barbecue and sushi. A kitten bouquet also stole my thunder.

That and same sex marriage is now possible in ALL OF 'MERICA! How awesome is that!

Luckily a dear friend of mine verbally kicked me in the butt to start writing again (Thanks Mav!!!), and I have a NEW CAMERA!!

Thank you newly minted husband!!

So I plan to get back on this wagon and have some AWESOME photos and some good food to write about.

How about a trip outside of NYC? Perhaps a visit to see some bodacious babes, one in Seneca Falls, and one in Saratoga Springs. Both love food, and both knew how to treat a newly married gal and her hubby right!

Next stop, a road trip to "the rest of New York."

Peru, Upscale: A Visit to Urumbamba

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:18:00 +0000

One thing I love about life in general are the surprises you can find in the most familiar of places. I live in Queens; I’ve lived here since I was five so I know the area really well. Sure, stores come and go, and especially on major streets, some of them pop up and disappear with remarkable speed. But for whatever reason there are some places I take for granted as being there always, and I never go in.

Perhaps it’s comfort in knowing it’ll always be there. Like NYC’s tourist spots. Why do New Yorkers not go to these places ever? Why would we, we live here! And, it’s full of tourists who get in our way. Sorry, but it’s true. Perhaps it’s being a little apprehensive about going into a new place, especially if the establishment probably doesn't speak English. At the same time, I find that exhilarating, it’s embracing the unknown. Sometimes you’re pleasantly surprised, sometimes you’re not. That’s life, and comedian Gilda Radner phrases it just right:

“I always wanted a happy ending... Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity” (Gilda Radner, 1946 - 1989)

Now, I’ve walked past Urubamba many times, and I never went in to try their food. After asking The Fisherman where we should go out to eat on Friday, I thought “Hey, why not here?” and off we went. Naturally we read the reviews for some ideas.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect the interior to be as nice as it was. I normally expect good, authentic food coming from hole-in-the-wall places. Sure ambiance is nice, but it’s not very practical in Queens. Food is real, usually cheap, usually fast, and no one cares about how the restaurant looks.

Here at Urumbamba it was really swank inside, with nice lighting, a really high ceiling, and lots of Peruvian art. Not what I expected in Jackson Heights.

It take a while to get a seat, but apparently it’s that good, not just to non-Hispanics or non-Peruvians. When we sat down, we looked over it and figured out what we should get. I wish we got some ceviche, but it’s a bit expensive. Maybe next time.

The Fisherman got a breaded fried steak and a pesto pasta. I went for the roasted Peruvian chicken with potatoes. Around here, the roasted chicken, be it Peruvian or Colombian, it’s amazing. The cutlet was good, a bit salty. But the crust was very crispy. The Fisherman found the pasta to be a bit bland, but cooked well. So seasoning was a bit off but cooking technique was good.

I found the chicken to be good, juicy, well-seasoned. But it just couldn’t beat Pollo Mario's chicken. The potatoes were fine.

Perhaps we ordered the wrong stuff, and at the price was a bit high too. It’s a nice place, but our food was probably more than $30. For it to be so-so, it was a little disappointing. Perhaps next time.

Not all adventures are exciting and positive. Some suck, some really suck, some are meh. I don't regret going to Urumbamba. In fact, I'd be willing to go again. I believe in giving places two or three chances. So this time wasn't great, there's always next time!

Speaking of next time, I wanted to show some examples of what I’ve been making since starting Weight Watchers. It’s really good food, lots of veggies, healthy and tasty too! I promise. Perhaps I'll do a review of healthier options I found that were good, and not so good. The good, the bad, the ugly. Maybe.

Until then, mangia!

Who Let the Perros Out! Colombian Hot Dogs

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:54:00 +0000

I want to thank you so much for your kind words about my disclosure, and not calling the hypocrite police. I’m not saying you have to eat carrots and celery 24/7 (unless you’re a bunny, or you enjoy that sort of thing), but I’m also not saying everyday should be a Colombian hot dog day.

Too much of anything isn’t good, and the point of a treat, of an indulgence, is to make it worthwhile, to have it once in awhile. Speaking of once in awhile, this is an example of something that, if enjoyed on occasion, can be a part of a balanced diet. I wouldn’t want anyone to be lacking in hot dogs, potato chip crumbles, and seven sauces! Believe me, it gets crazier.

My understanding is Colombian hot dogs, or perros calientes Colombianos, is an American food but with Colombian influence. I find it fascinating how one culture takes someone else’s food, and makes it their own, turning the original idea on its head. Apparently hot dogs got to Colombia some kind of way, and in Colombia they decided to go crazy with their toppings, a kind of competition among hot dog carts.

The usual hot dog has ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salsa rosada (a ketchup/mayo blend but apparently is own sauce), pineapple sauce (and sometimes raspberry too), and crumbled potato chips. Others include bacon, ham, cheese, or even quail eggs. One’s culinary imagination is the only thing holding back the perro architect.

If you are so inclined, here’s a recipe from a blog who has great recipes, but, I think it needs a few more toppings to really make it crazy and messy (and that’s part of the allure!)

I was inspired to check these out after reading one of my favorite foodie blogs, but I totally disagree with their assessment. That’s the great thing about blogs and such, we all can have our opinions, and that’s all this is, an opinion. Their opinion got me to try something I wanted to try for a long time, and I hope I inspire you. Maybe you’ll agree, and maybe you won’t. All I ask is you try it. You might like it.

We checked out El Perro and Xtasis, both in Jackson Heights, and both on Northern Boulevard within close proximity to each other. Do I smell a perros showdown??

First, at El Perro, it was a really small restaurant. A few stools, an impressive juice bar (that sadly was not very popular, probably since it was April and not really jugo or batido season). The menu was quite impressive. The Fisherman and I decided to go for a Perro Regular and a Perro Especial. The Regular was on a nicely toasted hot dog bun, a hot dog, cheese, crumbled potato chips, ketchup, mayo, mustard and salsa rosada. The Especial was a hot dog on a toasted bun with bacon, cheese, raspberry sauce, pineapple sauce, cheese, crumbled potato chips, ketchup, mayo, mustard and salsa rosada. I’m not gonna lie, the raspberry sauce intrigued me. I heard of the pineapple sauce before, but raspberry??

And here’s our dogs. Crazy flavorliciousness? Yes. Sloppy as can be, yes. Quite an experience. Some would think “how would all of this work??” But work it does. A hot dog compounded with the smokiness and meatiness of the bacon, the sharp sour sweet ketchup with the creaminess of mayo, playing against the salt crunch of the potato chips, the zip of mustard cutting through the richness. Then, to counterbalance that salt bomb is the sweetness of the fruity sauces. It’s unusual, but so are other sweet savory pairings, like chocolate and pretzels, brown sugar and bacon, or my favorite, a Wendy’s Frosty and fries dipped into the Frosty. Try it, and see what I mean.

El Perro doesn’t limit itself to hot dogs, with burgers, sandwiches, antojitos (street food/snacks, but it really means street food), juices, and cold concoctions like cholados, sundaes and floats.

The Fisherman was quite tempted by the Super Hamburguesa (burger, cheese, bacon, ham, quail eggs, crumbled potato chips, ketchup, mayo, mustard, salsa rosada, lettuce, tomato and onions) but we wanted to continue our hot dog quest. Until then, Super Hamburguesa…

Now, what was interesting with these is we got actual hot dogs, but other perros places like to switch up their meat tubes of choice.

At the famed brightly pink Xtasis, we had choriperros, or Spanish-style sausage dogs. This gave us a more spices, and meatier thicker texture to play against the onslaught of toppings. They also had regular perros, but who could resist a choriperro?

Their menu, which runs the gamut of sandwiches and burgers, much like Perro. But at Xtasis the options are incredible, from the Super Sandwich Xtasis (bread, turkey, chicken, roasted pork shoulder, ham, cheese, garlic sauce, pineapple sauce), to the Burguerarepa Super Xtasis (bacon, ham, cooked onions, cheese, lettuce, tomato, potato chip crumbles, seven different sauces, served on an arepa). I believe six of the sauces are ketchup, mayo, mustard, salsa rosada, pineapple sauce, and garlic sauce. The seventh alludes me.

They also have options like chuzos (or kebabs), arepas, maizitos (seems to be corn mixed with cheese and other toppings), patacos or maduros (sandwiches made with either savory or sweet plantains replacing the bread), antojitos, and LOTS of cholado and dessert options. I’ll elaborate on cholados in a bit.

Back to the choriperros, The Fisherman and I chose the Choriperro Super Xtasis and the Choriperro Super Hawiano. The Super Xtasis contained the bun (a sesame seeded mega hot dog bun, nice texture-wise), the sausage, bacon, ham, cheese, cooked onions, crumbled potato chips and seven sauces. The Super Hawiano had the bun, sausage, bacon, ham, cheese, cooked onions, crumbled potato chips, pineapple sauce and seven sauces. While they were lacking in raspberry sauce (with so much pink décor, you’d think raspberry sauce would be up their alley!), I think The Fisherman and I really like Xtasis, more than Perro. The flavor combo was incredible, the harmony was like nothing I ever had before.

Not for eating when you have something nice on, the mess factor adds to the fun. The contrast in textures and flavors is so wacky it works. The chips add nice salt and crunch, versus the meaty, spicy chorizo, versus the creamy, zingy, spicy, sweet sauces, the seeded bun adds softness and crunch at the same time, the smokiness of the bacon and ham, the sweet and savory onions, and of course the sweet and sour zip of pineapple. The only drawback I found was the cheese, which kind of hardened into a mantle, made it harder to get the various strata of tastiness.

A glorious cross section, so many layers of flavor!

Then, after all this super savoriness, I had to try a cholado. I’ve seen these forever and never tried one before. It looks so pretty! Pale orange cantaloupe, light green honey dew, yellow pineapple, some fluffy shredded coconut, crunchy apples, creamy banana, and a pretty pink wafer cookie. Even for a sweet fiend like me, this was intense. Even with The Fisherman and I splitting it, we couldn’t finish it, it was that sugar laden. A great thing to try though.

You would think after this adventure, we’d have our fill. Oh, no, we needed one more trip. The week after, we returned to Xtasis to try the Burguerarepa Super Xtasis. Another ridiculously delicious conglomeration of nicely grilled burger and tons of toppings. Another sloppy meal, but with grilled beefiness. I also loved the mild crunchy creaminess of the arepa. Normally considered bland, I really like arepas because I don’t find it as bland. It’s a mild base, usually good for sopping up something wonderful like the gravy from rice and beans, or in this case, to soak up all those flavors.

And, to top it off, what better end to a Colombian foodiethon than a can of Colombiana, a sweet soda similar in flavor to bubblegum. It’s an acquired taste, but fun to try nonetheless.

Up next, a visit to Peru, via the very popular restaurant, Urumbamba. Until then, mangia!

Full Belly Disclosure, Or, Loving Food the Right Way

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:18:00 +0000

So, something I thought about for a good while and decided to share since I’m a firm believer in honesty. I don’t want to give the impression that I eat all this with no repercussions. That and I think of Paula Deen and other celebrity chefs who are under fire about promoting food that’s delicious, but maybe not the best for us. It’s a complicated issue, just as it is for restaurants, whose job is to make food delicious. No, one is holding us at gunpoint to eat Gooey Butter cakes, or Big Macs, or HUGE sodas, soft drinks, or sweetened teas.

On the other hand, you do have to do a bit of work to figure out what you should be eating. Read labels, ask questions. Yet many people don’t, they don’t hold themselves responsible, and they should. That’s why children can’t smoke, or drink alcohol, or gamble, but adults can. It’s called being able to determine what’s best for you. And granted sometimes it’s hard, and granted, having a family can be more difficult to make better choices. It may not be easy, but it’s necessary.

In my case, I’ve been heavy just about my whole life. I’m a sedentary person by nature; I love to read and paint. I’m a huge klutz so physical activity was never my forte. I really don’t drink soda, and now when I do it’s diet, I don’t really eat junk food, and eat a mostly vegetarian diet during the week. On the weekend I loosen up a little but mainly don’t consume anything ridiculous (regularly). I ate healthy foods, yet was heavy. It’s affecting my health in a small way, but it’s only a matter of time before other issues pop up.

I decided a couple of years ago to get the ball rolling on making better choices for myself because only I can do that for myself. I’ve gone to the doctor and am working on my health issues, which are mainly the result of being heavy. I need to lose some weight to see improvements.

So, now I walk a lot, I take the stairs more often, and I recently joined a gym. I also decided to join Weight Watchers to help me figure out what I was eating, or not eating. So far I learned that that what I was eating was fine, but my portions were WAAY too large (see, this is called being educated!). I’m fairly savvy about healthy eating and what not, but thought eating lots to healthy food was the way to go. Not necessarily.

Since increasing my activity, and joining Weight Watchers in April, I’ve lost 15 lbs, and 10 more previously (5 on my own and 5 after the cruise, strangely enough. Seasickness will do that I guess).

What I’m trying to say is that as an adult I have to make my own choices. I will reap what I sow in terms of my choices. I have chosen to eat healthier overall, but I still love food, and will continue to do so. I just won’t eat A LOT of it. What I really like about Weight Watchers is I can choose to eat whatever I want, but I have to keep track of what I eat, and how much. To me it’s like my bank account; I don’t have infinite dollars (I wish!), why should I have infinite calories?

So, I’d like to write about the fun stuff I eat, as well as what I eat the other days. To show that, you can love food and not cause harm to your health. You can also be healthy and not eat rabbit food (but seriously, fruits and vegetables are really important!!)

The key is moderation, really, truly. Sometimes that isn’t easy. In America, we have a penchant for “more is better,” and that doesn’t always translate well. For some, none is better than some, and I understand that (which is why bread in my house is highly regulated J). But, I think many of us have to learn to love food, but not to an extreme.

I want to love food, but not have it kill me, or cause damage. I want to enjoy my life and be happy, but also be around long enough to enjoy the ride, to enjoy my friends and family for many, many years. Perhaps it’ll inspire you to really think about something like this, to think about your food, where it comes from, and how much you really need. How, like with physical activity, if you don’t use it you lose it.

If anything else, I’m not trying to convince you that what I post is not what I eat every day, and you probably shouldn’t either. This is me being honest, and hopefully it is appreciated.

I’ll sprinkle in some of the foods I make that I eat during the work week, but first, I really have to highlight the incredible concoction, the Colombian hot dog. Yes, even these can be included in a healthy diet as a "sometimes" food, not an "always" food.

Until then, mangia!

Panem et Conchasium: Mexican Sweet Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Thu, 31 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

One thing I love about where I live is the diversity of my neighborhood. People from all over the world congregate to New York, many live in Queens. It seems though that so many people from all over the world come and make Elmhurst their home. According to Queens7.com “Elmhurst in Queens has the highest share of immigrants per total population. Seventy percent of its residents are immigrants. Other top neighborhoods in this category are all in Queens – Jackson Heights, Flushing, Corona and Woodside. In these neighborhoods, six out of 10 residents are born outside of the U.S, according to the same report.”

This means growing up around kids who, or their parents originally hailed from places such as Haiti, The Dominican Republic, China, Tibet, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, even some of the previous residents, Italians and Jews and other Europeans. In school, our forms came in six different languages, and kids were often asked over the PA system to help translate.

I feel very fortunate to live in a place like this, because it’s usually very hard for people to accept things that are different from what they know. I struggle with it too, because I grew up with certain things I knew to be “true” or “they way we do things.” It just is, it’s always been this way. People get very uncomfortable when their values, their “truths” are questioned. But it’s also very liberating to learn other ways of doing things, of being.

Growing up with an Italian mom, bread was important. It was my treat when my mom would clean the house. I’d sit in my high chair, watching Fraggle Rock, and dipping my hunk of Italian bread into melted butter. Hey, it was the mid-80’s, butter wasn’t bad back then. And, while it’s not “proper,” Italian bread is best enjoyed when ripped off in hunks or pieces, rather than cut. Your mom will be mad, but it’s so good.

Bread was also a great staple when my mom wanted something quick and simple to make for us. Italian bread was cheap, I think 3 or four loaves for a dollar, with some cheese and whatever toppings, popped into the oven, and done. With three kids, she could customize each of our breads (tomato and basil on mine, bacon bits or perhaps pepperoni for my siblings). We were all fed and happy. To me, bread is love.

So when I see how different cultures “do bread,” I get excited. I love bread, and it loves me more than I care to admit. On the other hand, I have this preconceived notion of what “bread” is to me. Bread is Italian bread, or we called it “hero bread.” I don’t think of bread and think of Asian bakery, or Indian naan or roti, or Colombian buñuelos although I think they are all delicious. Other breads have been elusive to me.

One bread that has mesmerized me that I never tried before was this Mexican bread. They look like large rolls, but have the prettiest colors and designs baked on top, similar to a pineapple bun. After doing some research I realized these were called conchas. As you can see there are a number of sweet breads, pan dulces, but I am most familiar with conchas where I live. I’ve walked past Vallecito (omg it smells like butter and sugar and LOVE!), I’ve passed Mira Cali, Broadway Bakery (although that’s more of a pizzeria and Western bakery).

Why have I never ventured in, to sample that which I admired from afar? The simple answer is that I didn’t know what I was ordering. Usually pointing and bracing myself for the surprise of what I bought doesn’t faze me. But sometimes it can be intimidating. Plus, adoring from afar creates this mystery, this fantasy, and sometimes that’s better than the real thing.

Sadly, in this case, the conchas fantasy prevailed. I went to a local supermarket that I don’t frequent all that often because it’s a little out of the way, and I swear they’ve renovated four times in a year. When you can’t find canned beans in a predominantly Hispanic supermarket, things are definitely out of order in that place! I do like this market though because they have more choices than my closer markets. That, and this market just set up a bakery! I was able to buy what I needed to buy, and then sneak in some conchas! Not knowing what to expect (and at fifty cents a piece!), I had to try them all!

So pretty!

Well, they were prettier before they made the schlep 6 or 7 blocks back to my apartment. Some of the decoration fell off, but it remained in the bag. I found the decorative top was tasty, kind of like a sugar cookie in texture and taste. The brown had a hint of chocolate but I couldn’t make out a distinction between the white, pink and yellow. The bread itself was like a roll you’d get a sandwich on, texturally, but it was slightly sweet. It confused me because it wasn’t pastry sweet, it was just a little sweet. Maybe it would be good with some strong café, but I didn’t love it. Maybe that’s what I get for buying grocery store bread instead of bakery bread. Perhaps I will give this another try.

Up next, an announcement I wasn’t sure I wanted to make. I decided to go with it because I think it’s important to be honest, in my personal life, and on this. That, and perhaps to show that everything has a place, even Colombian hot dogs.

Until then, mangia!

Take Me Down to Coco, yo!

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:42:00 +0000

Lame title, but very cool that this is post #50! Woohoo!

Now, we’re back to the good stuff, local fare from here in Elmhurst, Queens. I went to Coco awhile back, but really didn’t know what to order My familiarity with South Asian cuisine consisted of making pad thai for a friend in college (word up Leila!), having no clue what I was doing, in a dorm kitchen with flickering lights. Good times.

I asked The Fisherman if we could go again, but he insisted that not all the food was good, like their noodles in soup was horrible. Pan fried stuff was good, in his opinion. I recall their chicken satay was good, so between our limited memories we decided to give it a go.

We sit and look through the menu

And ponder their special drinks, although I know my heart belongs to Thai iced tea. I’d like to try an avocado shake, or coco-pandan, mmmm.

I got my Thai iced tea, so tasty. Sharp, bitter strong tea with the smooth creaminess of the condensed and evaporated milk, so good!

Now, to order. We go for the satay chicken and the roti telur (roti canai with egg) for appetizers, and then shrimp thai green curry (after trying red and green curries in my own dishes, I think I like red more, hold tight for more on how I do Thai!) and chow kueh teow for mains.

The satay was as delicious as I remember it, moist juicy dark meat with a nice marinade, and INCREDIBLE peanut sauce. I wanted that on EVERYTHING! I am playing with using peanut and peanut butter in savory dishes, you will soon find out. This really could be main dish over rice, and in some places it is.

I never had the roti but it was quite delicious. Stretchy chewy bread? I’m there! And with egg it’s not a major starch bomb. This was served with another delicious chicken curry sauce. Saucilicious!! Two for two on the apps!!

For the main dishes, this curry has nice heat, not too crazy, and the veggies added a nice crunch and contrast. The sauce dished over rice was wonderful.

I actually really loved The Fisherman’s choice of chow kueh teow. Nice wok hei, which is hard to find but beloved when found, nice chewy rice noodles, tasty calamari, shrimp, sprouts (love that light crunch) and some egg. I will definitely request this again.

The funny thing about where we live in Elmhurst is, we live around all these eateries, yet we often pass them right by. For me, Coco was an example of this. There are many, many others that we just pass because they’re part of the scenery for us. But I’ve decided that, when posed with “Hmmm, what should we eat?” that we take advantage of all the great local cuisine we have, that we usually don’t even realize.

Will they all be great? Of course not. But the important thing is it’s there, and we gave it a try (that and we can just roll home).

Anyway, next up, a quick blip on my adventures with Mexican conchas! Until then, mangia!

Sea Faring Foodies: Part III, Italian and Brazilian Extras!

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:35:00 +0000

…And I’m back, again. Sorry about the delay, but at the office we just finished our spring fundraising season, whew! I hope you all did something nice for your mom this Mother’s Day. We focus on moms every spring, like the meal recipients who are moms. A lot of people think of their moms and then they think of women who are alone on this special day. We make sure they have a nice meal on Mother’s Day, and a card signed by someone who made a donation for Mother’s Day. They know they are not forgotten, not today, or any day of the year.

Now, I can finally finish Sea Faring Foodies Trilogy MWAHAHAHAA! These were the places The Fisherman and I had to pay extra in order to eat there. In sum, it was totally worth it. First up is Mama’s Italian Restaurant, a really nice Italian place, makes you think you’re on the water in Tuscany, almost. Then, we checked out Moderno Churrascaria, a Brazilian barbecue meatfest.

At Mama’s the atmosphere was very warm, very Mediterranean, really nice. We got the antipasti platter, beef carpaccio, salad with fig and pancetta, pizza margherita and cheese tortellini with creamy pesto.

The antipasti was really nice, a change from what I grew up eating as antipasti, veggies and cold cut cubes (delicious, but not exactly authentic). From top left, roasted tomatoes which were actually sweet and didn’t taste like crap (as most tomatoes do nowadays, sad). Then some prosciutto, which is always delicious. I’m so glad the Fisherman like Parmesan and prosciutto, these are not for the novice!

Next were some lovely olives. The Fisherman is not a fan because he thinks all olives = canned black olives. Then roasted red peppers, a wonderful addition to ANYTHING, so good! Finally, something I never had before, but was quite impressed, a sort of zucchini frittata. It was light, not dense at all, cold, but not super wet as cold egg dishes can get, more so with any squash in the mix. A nice start before appetizers.

Next we tried beef carpaccio. I never had it before and it was really tasty. The olive oil makes it so silky and the pepper and greens make it zippy. It inspired me to want to try carpaccio again, and again and again.

I got the salad, but this is why: figs AND pancetta? Yeah, I was going for that. A little richness balances out the salad greens so you don’t have to be weighed down, but you also won’t eat it and then say “Uh, that’s it?” Nicely balanced. Notice in the lower middle, that glowing jewel or porktasticness, like a pancetta ruby.

For main courses, The Fisherman got the pizza margherita, and since we kept hearing about the pasta, I opted for the cheese tortellini with creamy pesto. The pizza was really good, not quite pizza from back home, but pretty close. We live in NYC, it’s a hard pie to compare it to. The crust was nice and crispy, the cheese was super gooey, but the one turn off for me was the tomatoes.

Now, I love veggies on pizza, but when you go heavy on toppings like vegetables (which have lots of water), or large pieces (such as these tomato slices), one bite causes said topping to slide off, with the poor crust all by its lonesome. It’s so, so sad to separate crust from cheese and topping. It should be considered a war crime. Overall, a formidable pie.

The pasta was really nice, the most tender I’ve ever had. I’ve also never had fresh pasta before so this was an extra special treat. It wasn’t gummy, or dry, it was a totally different texture. I’ll have to investigate more fresh pasta from now on. The creamy pesto was really nice, something I never thought of trying before but will now…This was right up my alley as a major Italian cheese head.

All in all, it was a very nice experience. Like a trip to Tuscany on the sea.

Now, Moderno Churrascaria was a place we were very lucky to go to, since it opened a day or so before we were to come back to NYC.

Boy, was there meat. GLORIOUS MEAT! As you can see the menu was long and lovely. Just like me. Yeah, I couldn't resist.

For those new to the art of churrascaria, you have some object, in this case a paper square, sometimes something that looks almost like an hour glass. One side is painted red, the other is green. When the object is flipped to green, it means BRING ON DA MEAT! Guys with skewers of carnivorous delights come by your table and keep loading you up. When you flip it to red, it means NO MOAR!

Note, see at the top, between the drinks offered and the meat is this thing called a “salad bar”? Think of it as a “sad bar” and save your stomach (and calories) for the meat. It’s meant to distract you from the meat. I did try some ceviche for giggles. Not that exciting, but luckily I was really full anyway, I had my meatfill.

We had some Brazilian cheese bread, pao de queijo, reminded me of pandebono, but waaay less dense.

The meat which is incredible, the best I’ve had. We were offered picanha (a prized cut of sirloin known for its rich flavor), garlic beef (center cut sirloin marinated in garlic and sea salt), costela (slow cooked tender juicy beef ribs), filet mignon (succulent filet of beef seasoned to perfection), frango (chicken leg marinated in lime juice, sea salt and garlic), chicken breast (wrapped in smoked peppered bacon), costela de suino (pork ribs marinated in red wine and spices), linguica (Portuguese sausages flavored with herbs and garlic), chorizo (Spanish sausages flavored with red wine and Parmesan cheese), costela de carneiro (flavorful lamb rib chops from the spit). Yeah, it was awesome.

For the sides, we were given buttered rice (since you need butter after MEATFEST), savory black beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and fried sweet bananas. I loved the bananas the best, but I’m a sweet fiend. The others were good, but really, this is all about the meat. And I think these pictures speak louder than anything I can type up.

Sadly, I don’t remember which meat was what, but I remember that it was all incredible. The problem is you fill up really fast on all that protein. Yet, there is always room for dessert. The choices were papaya cream (a blend of papaya and vanilla cream and crème de cassis liqueur), coconut flan (traditional flan with toasted coconut), and mango rice pudding (sweet mango with dulce de leche). We went for the flan and the rice pudding.

The flan was creamy and custardy with a nice coconutty flavor. I think if there was toasted coconut on top, or on the bottom and flipped over, it would add a nice crunch as you would expect with the word “toasted” in the description. The rice pudding I found to be really sweet, more than even I could appreciate. The bottom had the sweet mango, it was almost like jam. Not bad to try, but I’d go for the flan if I got a do over.

These two restaurants were definitely worth the extra cost. Mama’s was $10 a person and Churrascuria was $20, TWENTY per person. The closest Churrascaria to us in Queens is DOUBLE that price, for less quality selection, and the last time we went, was crawling with possibly mid level gangsters/drug dealers. Really. Doesn’t help you appetite when you feel like you fell in the snake pit.

So, that wraps up the Sea Faring Foodies Trilogy, finally. Wow, I can’t believe that was two months ago. Boy does time fly. Now, we’re back to our regularly scheduled program. We start with a visit to a local Malaysian/Thai spot, Coco.

Until then, mangia!

Sea Faring Foodies: Part II, Washy Washy, Drinky Drinky

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:54:00 +0000

One thing I will remember always on my trip on a cruise is the phrase “washy washy.” Basically, it was a reminder for guests to regularly wash their hands, or use hand sanitizer before going into restaurants. The fact that we have to be reminded to do so is a bit sad; the last time I checked I learned this in kindergarten. Then again there was also a recent outbreak of norovirus on cruise ships, so I guess there’s that too.

So, all around the ship I’d hear “washy washy” and get sanitized or spritzed with rubbing alcohol. I was wondering if soon enough I’d turn into a germophobe and start wearing tissue boxes on my feet (I so wish I could find that image *shakes fist*).

The best part was at the end of the trip. Did I mention that I we went on our cruise starting on

St. Patrick’s Day? Ever try crossing Midtown Manhattan and getting to the West Side just before the parade? The pre-parade shenanigans were epic, to say the least.

And, did I mention that we went during Spring Break? Yeah. Lots of college kids aboard. I will say they behaved better than the kids I went to school with, but maybe they were afraid of getting tossed out to sea.

Anyway, as we’re disembarking, one of the “washy washy” ladies spritzes our hands with the alcohol solution, and a youngish guy in front of us shouts “washy washy WOO HOO.” Without missing a beat, she responds with “drinky drinky, right?” IMMD.

Hence, washy washy, drinky drinky. And without further ado, some drinky drinkies.

First, if you are not a native New Yorker, keep in mind that to go out for drinks in NYC is not cheap. Not in Manhattan, for sure. The boroughs are less expensive, but it’s not unusual to look at $8 a drink, minimum. Beers are comparable I believe. Hence, The Fisherman and I don’t really go to bars in general, and we don’t as a dating activity when we could drink at home for waay less.

So, to go on a ship and be able to get a cocktail (probably more like two servings really), for $5-$6, and beer for the same, we were stoked. And, there was a beer special where you buy 5 beers and get one free for $30. Three beers each, hanging out and enjoying the scenery, very nice. For New Yorkers, drinking was very affordable (and for me helped with the sea sickness On the other hand alcohol has a tendency to make you feel good). Now, with all the storytelling done, onto the fun stuff we imbibed while on vaycay mode!

The first drink, which certainly helped settle my nerves, the Bahama Mama. It may just be my drink of Summer 2012, but maybe not. We shall see. I did research to find a good recipe to share, but they were including coffee liqueur whereas my drink was definitely in the tropicocofruitty camp. This looks right, heck I think I’d like it even without the rum. But if we’re talking the Caribbean, rum has to be had. Or does it? After one of these, I was ready to be a Bahama Mama!! (And no I didn't drink both, but I almost did).

Then, after lunch buffet we wandered about, got a feel for the ship, and realized that, with it being St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness was in order. And Guinness was had. Six in a bucket for the price of five, with a nifty hat and a cute necklace (no removing of shirts required, classy). I love a good Guinness. Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Next on the list (and after a day of exploring and eating and whatnot), is the lady and gentlemen’s choice, a Tropical Passion for me, and Sam Adams for The Fisherman. Now, I like (most) beer, and I like Sam Adams, but dammit I’m on vacation and I wanted something pretty!! Apparently my drink was a heavy hitter in the booze department, but I didn’t notice. Apparently The Fisherman drank all the kick out of it. Sure, sure.

The one cocktail I was so excited about and then sadly disappointed by was the Rebellious Fish. Click and see what’s in it, and what it looks like. It’s in an AWESOME FISH BOWL. Because we’re at SEA. And we’re a PISCES and a FISHERMAN. What did we get?

Boo. And the drink wasn’t even that cool. The blackberry looked like a poop.

Keeping in line with fun colorful drinks, we next have the Blue Lagoon. I was really excited about this one, because it looks gorgeous! I LOVE that color. Sadly, another doozy. I don’t hate citrus, but it wasn’t fantastic. Nice to look at, I could have had something else to drink…

…like this. Now, I decided I don’t like this frozen whipped up version. But I do love the flavor combo. Maybe because I practically live in Puebla tequila has grown on me. I don’t know why I haven’t sought it out sooner. This, along with my Bahama Mama may be my drinks of choice for 2012. I got the classic, and The Fisherman got the raspberry. Both were good, but his kept getting huge shots of salt which were a bit off-putting. I liked the clean simple flavors of lime, tequila, salt.

Speaking of lime, everyone loves Corona and lime, right? Well…

Next was our fun times on the fake island the cruise ship bought. Sadly there wasn’t any good beer, but we settled for Miller Draft and Corona, which I never had before. Basically, how bad can beer be when you’re sitting here?

Exactly. I didn’t hate the Miller Draft, but I certainly wouldn’t seek it. Good for a summer barbecue, or fishing on a boat, but not to enjoy it. It’s a good accessory beer, to me, but not a beer to enjoy as is. As for the Corona, which is HUGELY popular where I live (as is Tecate), I just don’t get it. To me, and this is just my opinion, tastes like skunk pee. The lime does make it taste barely palatable as opposed to taste like skunk pee, but beer, nothing should have to have something to make it not suck. That’s just me, Mizz Girly Drink McGee. Now that I’m finished with my Corona rant…

With each bucket we also get a tchotchkey bottle opener. So, I had to get creative. I had to get real! I think it's so bad it's good that it's bad again. I don't know, bottle opener earrings anyone?

And then, Kalik, the beer of the Bahamas. Not very impressive, super light. Made by Heineken apparently. Tastes about right I’d say. You can only get it in the Bahamas. Suits me just fine. I wouldn’t miss it.

These I’d miss if I could only get it on one place. Warsteiner and Franziskaner. Warsteiner is definitely not a hot weather, sitting by the pool kind of beer. Franziskaner was more of a favorite, easier to drink in the heat with lots of meat and potatoes during German Fest or whatnot. Pork, sausage, sauerkraut, beer. Good stuff.

Speaking of beer, let’s wrap things up with our tastings, which aside from getting a bit tipsy on four types of booze for $15/person, you actually learn something about your booze (a novel concept for some). As nerdish as I am, this was a dream.

At the beer tasting we tried Becks, Bottingtons Pub Ale, Bass, and Franziskaner, which we had here then we had at German Fest (seems they were really pushing that one, huh?) Not terrible stuff, not super fancy beers, but interesting. I think I liked the Bass the most, the Becks was a bit light for me. I like to keep trying stuff to see what I like, and compare it to other things I’ve had, be it beer, whiskey, coffee, etc. so I can make those connections. So, maybe next time we’re beer shopping we’ll check out Bass. Maybe Franziskaner.

Then we went to a whiskey tasting, as The Fisherman is fond of whiskey (sometimes I think he was an old fogey in a former life). We tried Cutty Sark, Single Malts of Scotland 16 Year Bladnoch, I think, Alberta Premium, and Old Potrero 18th Century Whiskey. Whereas he appreciate this far more than I do and picks up the nuances, I pretty much tasted burning throughout. Cutty was tough, Single Malts of Scotland was my favorite, it was the smoothest. Alberta reminded me of paint thinner, not good, and I don’t think anyone at the tasting could figure out Old Potrero, including a Scottish woman and avid whiskey drinker.

Afterward, feeling inspired, The Fisherman tried a shot of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. He liked it enough, the price was good on the ship but would be way more pricey on land. I don’t think he’d be willing to switch to his beloved Chivas Regal. Thoroughly whiskeyed up, I was able to persuade The Fisherman to check out the hysterically named Asian restaurant, Chin Chin.

On our final night, we visited our favorite bartender, also named Raymond, and had ourselves a pint of Newcastle Brown Ale. Apparently it takes a bit of work to get out of the tap with its sputtering and foaming, but it was quite nice. We then went for a Murphys, the other beer being shilled during St. Patrick’s Day. It was good, dark, nice, but sadly the tap was giving our bartender a hard time so we shared this one. We sipped this as we listened to an older musician croon songs from our parents’ generation as we sailed back home.

All in all, drinking was fun on the ship, if that’s your thing, or if you need a little help with handling being on a ship. We got to experience a variety of cocktails, whiskeys, and beers for a steal to our fiscal sensibilities. We have yet to recreate a beer bucket, but we do have ice ready. And we may or may not have bought the accessories needed for a Bahama Mama.

Up next, bonus eats! Our attempt at “authentic” Bahamian cuisine, and the two dining options we paid extra for. Which ones were a steal, and which ones were a rip off? I’ll discuss this next time. Until then, mangia!

Sea Faring Foodies: Part I, Dinner Delights

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:34:00 +0000

And, we’re back! The Fisherman and I took our long awaited vacation, a cruise to the Bahamas! Neither of us went on a cruise before, and neither of us went to the Bahamas before so it was a lot of new stuff for us. One thing we kept hearing from those who cruised before was that the food was amazing.

We found that to be partially true. Breakfast and lunch, at least on this ship, were basically served buffet style. Usually buffet style means lower quality, which comes to be expected. I usually don’t mind the quality of buffets. Maybe I was a bit turned off since I found out the hard way that I get sea sick, but I was really disappointed in the early meals. It actually reminded me of eating at the dining halls in college. But The Fisherman had no complaints, and it seems the other cruisers were quite content. The exception to this was the poolside and beach barbecues. Meat plus fire?? DELICIOUS!! Those weren’t pretty good. I actually had a burger so delicious and juicy I had to change my shirt.

The dinners I found were beautifully created and tasted lovely, with the exception of one. Not bad odds. Each place had two menus. One side had a variety of choices for the day, and the other were the standard choices. If you didn’t like the daily choices, you had old standbys which you knew were safe bets.

There were two dining choices, a Russian themed placed called Tsar’s Palace, and a more modern one called Azura. Tsar’s was very beautiful and elegant, but we felt more comfortable at Azura. And it was closer to our favorite watering hole, Malting Beer and Whiskey Bar.

Speaking of which, the drinks. For New Yorkers, were definitely affordable. A cocktail was about $5-$6, and a bucket of 6 beers was about $30. Fun was had with those buckets. And, there were beer and whiskey tasting, four tasting for $15 per person. You learn what you might like, you learn about booze, and you get a buzz, what’s not to like?

For stops on our voyage, we also had a port of call in Port Canaveral, Florida, which was fun, but not interesting, culinary speaking. Then we stopped on the ship’s private island where we had fun in the sun and had a beach barbecue, and then finally stopped in Nassau, the Bahamas. We made it a point to avoid all the American chains and go on a quest for conch and johnny cakes. Maybe we were better off at McDonalds.

Then we were originally going to stick to the complimentary dinners, but even the additional charge dinners were quite reasonable for us. We chose an Italian place for $10 per person, and a churrascaria (or Brazilian barbecue) that luckily opened the evening before we disembarked, for $20 a person. In Queens, it’s double that a person. In Manhattan, it’s easily more.

So, I think the best way to handle all this food porn is to break it down into four parts: dinner, then drinks, and beach/Bahamian “local cuisine”and Italian/churrascaria. It’s a lot of food, so I hope you brought your appetite (and possibly antacid. Since I got on land heartburn has landed in my tummy, boo).

Onto the food! I hope you brought doggie bags, you will need them!

First are appetizers:

Pear, blue cheese and arugula salad. This combo is classic, and it's because it works. The dressing was wonderful, the cheese had just the right bite, and the pears had a nice sweet crunch combo.

Roasted corn chowder. Pretty good, thought the corn would taste sweeter.

Smoked Salmon Tartare. My favorite of the bunch. I definitely ordered this twice, it was that good. The toast was almost an afterthought.

Lime marinated shrimp with fingerling potatoes. I found it boring until I dabbed a bite in the dabs of sauce. That made it.

Roasted fennel and butternut squash over arugula with an orange vinaigrette. I totally stole their dressing idea when I got home. The squash was lovely and worked nicely with the citrus, as squash does tend to play nicely with citrus. I never had cooked fennel before, I grew up eating it raw so this was interesting. A lovely salad if there ever was one.

Now the mains...

Pork chop, mashed potatoes, greens. A bit dry, but that's to be expected, especially on a ship.

Gnocchi with pumpkin sauce and mushrooms. I loved the sauce, but I also LOVE pumpkin, both sweet and savory (I even named my cat Punkin), the gnocchi weren't gummy or doughy, and were actually seared a bit, adding a bit of crunch and flavor. The mushrooms added a nice umami boost, but I found the pieces were a bit too large. Maybe I should have employed my fork...

Sole (I believe, I'm so terrible at remembering cooked fish!), seasoned creole style with jambalaya and andouille . I tried okra for the first time, nice taste, odd texture. I really tried to order more fish dishes and learn more about cooked fish, and I wasn't disappointed, until my stomach started hurting. Better luck next time, I hope.

The Fisherman's trusty ribeye. I think he ordered this twice or so. This was cooked nicely, but the cut was a bit thin. Luckily if we got hungry later we found something at the buffet.

Lamb shank with beans. We both really liked this. It looked beautiful and it was delicious as well. Simple, slightly gamey lamb, tender meat, in a tomatoey sauce with creamy and rich beans. I might have to try my hand at this come the cooler months. If only I could gnaw at a bone at my desk.

Salmon in a cream sauce. My god that sauce was incredible. I think I licked the finish off that plate. It was subtle, but it really wrapped the fish in a creamy, velvety deliciousness.

I forget what kind of fish this is (see??) I think The Fisherman ordered this one.

Another favorite of mine, and it made me a bit homesick: coconut shrimp and chicken with curry.

Finally, the desserts:

First up, apple pie. Very odd apple pie in fact. It tasted more of cinnamon than apple, and the fact that the filling was so perky made me question physics. How can pie make you sad?

Coconut souffle with mango sauce. We never had souffle before, so this was interesting. The texture was very spongy, but the sauce overwhelmed the coconut a bit. The sauce was very sweet and tart. Sometimes, less is better.

English trifle. I thought I'd go out on a limb and try it. Not all that exciting. It's prettier than it's tastes, a bimbo dessert.

Tiramisu, which was very nicely created, I must say. An extra bit of booze helps calm the tummy on the not so high seas. Creamy, coffeelicious, reminds me of high school in Lincoln Center, hanging out in Balduccis, you know, like high schoolers do...

Key lime pie. The filling was really nice, I don't know what was up with the syrup, and I didn't care for the meringue. I get offended by key lime pie having meringue, but I'm also a nut job. Meringue on a lemon meringue pie? Yes. Meringue on a key lime pie? Does the name have meringue in it??? sigh

Chocolate raspberry truffle cake. The Fisherman thinks its too rich, but think he's silly. Not my favorite, but it was very, very good.

Lemon ginger custard. Now this is my favorite, and I'll explain why: it dazzled and surprised me. I first ordered it because I was intrigued. I thought it tied in nicely with my curry chicken and rice. Then I worried the ginger would overwhelm and burn, and it didn't at all. It worked very, very well and it helped me believe that lemon desserts can impress. Chocolate still rules though :)

Finally, no sugar added carrot cake. It was moist, the cream cheese added a nice tang, the creamy vanilla sauce was nice. Not the best carrot cake I had, definitely mass produced. Not bad, not great.

Next, to wash down those 21 courses, something to drink! Until then, mangia!

(M)ost (V)isited (P)lace: Corner 28, Flushing, Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:33:00 +0000

As you can see I did a bit of redecorating. I wanted the look of the blog to highlight what I write about. While I LOVED the jelly beans (and I’m a HUGE fan of Jelly Belly jelly beans), but I’m not writing a candy or sweets blog. Then I thought that since The Fisherman and I take tons of pictures of food, why not incorporate that? I like it, I think it speaks to the adventures we’ve had so far, but is certainly not all of them. Let me know what you think :)

Now, onto the second part of what I’ve tried at Corner 28. First is one of the more commonly known Chinese dishes, banjo duck. (I was corrected by The Fisherman because I thought it was Peking duck, but it seems Peking Duck is used with buns, scallions and hoisin sauce. It's not as intensely flavored as banjo duck. I don't care if it's xylophone duck, it was good.)

I can see why it’s so renowned. Gorgeous lacquered skin, crispy and red-brown (again with me and the crispy poultry skin!). I wish my hair were that color, Burnished Banjo Duck. That would be awesome.

Now, as it is rumored, yes, duck can be very rich, some might even call it greasy. I found this to be wonderful, rich, not greasy and just right. If it’s too rich for you, have some, enjoy, but just have less of it. At least it’s not dry like chicken or turkey can be!

E-fu, or yi mien noodles, are next. I thought this was lo mein, but it seems yi mien is different in that these are made with carbonated water, which gives the noodles a chewy, spongy texture. These particular noodles are also known as longevity noodles and are served for things like birthdays to ensure you have a long life.

Not knowing the difference, sadly I did not know to look for that texture. All I know is that it was delicious and it satisfied my craving for noodles. The sauce and preparation were fantastic, nice and savory and a bit softer than lo mein noodles, now that I think about it. The shape is also a bit different from lo mein. Oh well, it’s great to learn something new every day!

Finally, for savory items we had pan fried striped bass (again, I don't know fish all that well, I thought it was tilapia. According to The Fisherman, technically it's a striped bass and white bass hybrid but they market it as striped bass. This isn't the first time I've heard of fish being mislabled intentionally. All the more reason to learn about fish!)

Now here’s an interesting caveat: I really enjoy raw fish like sushi and sashimi, but cooked fish appeals to me less. I grew up in a very fish and seafood free household, so my sea consumption is limited. I am trying more and more seafood and trying to like it more.

That said, I didn’t love the tilapia. According to The Fisherman and his momma, this was made very well. The plating was great, I thought, and the server removed the bones in a really cool way. I found the flesh to taste muddy, but it’s supposed to taste that way, I’ve been told. And the head usually is pointed towards the most important diner, so it’s pointed towards The Fisherman’s momma. It’s a respect thing. Not my favorite, but oh well, there’s always next time.

And, my favorite topic: dessert. While Asian cuisine is not known for its desserts and pastries (with the exception of Asian bakeries), their take on all things sweet is definitely worth checking out.

First is something simple, but I think works beautifully: fresh fruit. In this case, a sliced orange. Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good chocolate cake, a luscious cheesecake, a slice of pie. These are wonderful things, but do we really need cake, cookies and pie all the time?? What happened to the days when these things were made from scratch and were a very occasional treat? What happened to fruit being a delicious way to get your sweet fix?

Oh yeah, when someone thought it was a good idea to have the convenience of instant-readymade-or-pickup-from-the-supermarket baked goods (not even ones baked there!!), and food should be made from a chemistry set (GMO’s anyone?), or shipped from who knows where (why are there pineapples here NOW??).

I digress, but the TL; DR version is this: fruit (can be) good for you, and delicious. If you grow it, even better. If you can get it from a farmer’s market, also great. If you can’t, like me, try to enjoy fruit (and vegetables), and if you do it enough, all those other sweets and what not will be too sweet, too salty, too much! Keep in mind, in most traditional Italian households, dessert isn't tiramisu or cookies, what is it? I'll give you three guesses...

Preaching over, I promise. As for the orange, I found it to be a light, sweet, and zippy way to end a meal. Plus I like when the orange is cut up for me, means less juice squirting in my eye. Try a piece of fruit after a meal. If you’re still hungry, THEN you can have that snacky cake :)

Now, the piece de reistance: a sweet dessert soup. I know it sounds different, but trust me on this one, it’s really good. Coconutty, sweet, silky, little golden gems of papaya, tapioca pearls (again, I like this texture, I don’t know why!). Known as Sai mai lo or Sago, it can involve dairy milk or cream, or coconut cream (if you have lactose issues). I actually prefer the coconut, but I also lurv coconut.

And that’s the epic that is Corner 28. I hope I inspired you to check this place out if you live in NYC, and if you don’t, that’s okay. I’m sure there’s a Corner 28 doppleganger out there and now you have some tips on what to get.

Until then, mangia!

(M)ost (V)isited (P)lace: Corner 28, Flushing, Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:03:00 +0000

I’ll be honest, when I first visited Corner 28, I didn’t have the greatest experience. In short, I had a really bad one. I didn’t know what to expect, was intimidated by the menu, I went with someone and neither of us are Chinese, we didn’t like what we ordered, and the wait staff demanded we tip more than we did.

Now, unless someone gives me HORRIBLE service, I leave 15-20%. I usually tip more because I have great respect for people in the culinary/hospitality/service industry. I highly recommend you do too, except in this example I was not happy eating here at all.

Now, there were other factors at play here that I don’t want to get into, but the addition of such an experience left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, I don’t understand why, in a country like this, in a place like NYC, why I sometimes feel like my skin color should determine where I can go and what I can eat.

As far as I’m concerned, the only color anyone should care about is green, as in, I have the money and want to spend it in your establishment. Don’t pander to me because I’m white, don’t mistreat me, don’t dumb down your cuisine, don’t make me wait longer because I’m white and obviously confused as to where I am, and please, ask me first if I want a fork.

I digress, just a tad, and it’s to give a framework to my first experience going back to Corner 28 with The Fisherman and his parents, frequent patrons. First, as with any establishment, if you go a lot, they’ll be nicer to you. I get that. And, as much as I’d like to think they don’t care about being Chinese or not, I sometimes wonder why I’m treated much better when I go with The Fisherman and his family. Although last weekend we went and I was given a fork, something I didn’t have for at least a year of going with them.

Oh well. Bizarre treatment aside, if you are extremely brave, or have someone more experienced (and Chinese/Asian looking), this is a good place to go to. The food is authentic and very good, the atmosphere is very nice, and if you’re adventurous, this is right up your alley.

So, onto the fun stuff. When we first sit down, they bring this

to the table. Glorious glorious char siu (roasted pork). Juicy, sweet jewels of porcine delight. Is this for me, or do I have to share?

They also brought tofu skin and mushroomy type things. I really enjoy the tofu skin, again I can't figure out why I like this but not other things. The fungus mushroomy things make me a little uneasy, I'm not brave enough to try them, yet. Sometimes they bring peanuts, but last weekend when we went they only brought the tofu skin. Hmmm.

Then, they always have this special $1.00 soup. I’ve tried this many, many times, and it’s not for me. I even tried this pig brain soup they have that helps with migraines, according to The Fisherman’s mom, who also gets them. All in all, it’s not something I like, but that’s just me. The broth is very mild (but then I grew up with Lipton), and there are pieces of silky chicken (or some chicken with inky black skin).

A close up of my soup. Thar be interestin’ things in that thar bowl…

A picture of the menu, they do have incredible pictures, I will say. Country Style frog. Actually doesn’t look bad. Maybe I’ll request that next time.

Then some tea. The funny thing is, some places have really nice tea, most don’t. I’m indifferent to the tea here, quite honestly. I’m surprised it’s not better, but maybe it’s just me.

Now, onto the food. These photos are from two visits we went on, and we order a lot both times :)

Beef chow fun. One of my favorite dishes. It’s strange, because while some textures don’t appeal to me, like chewy and savory, or jelly-like and savory, but I love, LOVE rice noodles. Bouncy rice noodles, a wonderfully savory sauce, and the elusive wok hei. Wok hei is basically this incredible smokiness, but it’s not quite that simplistic. The other tricky thing about acquiring wok hei is the need for really high heat. Unfortunately, the average American stove top doesn’t get that hot, so home wok hei is hard, if not impossible.

Next, speaking of textures I don’t love to death, is boiled chicken with mustard greens. The Fisherman and I have this debate on chicken skin. He loves it soft and gelatinous, where I like it dry and crispy. To each his own, and in this case, more for him. I will say this cooking application does make the white meat incredibly tender, which I really do enjoy. The key is to eat with this incredible ginger scallion sauce. The flavor combination of this seemingly simple sauce is other worldly. I liked Corner 28’s, but I like the sauce The Fisherman’s family makes way more. This recipe from Almost Bourdain is a good starting point, but like anything else, it’s open to adaptation (like I usually see everything chopped ridiculously fine).

Here we have salt and pepper pork. Crunchy, salty, meaty, really, really good. The batter is light and crispy (not health food, but totally worth it once in a while). You taste the salt and pepper and a simple but elegant way, and then you get the yummy pork. Overall pretty tender meat, great combination.

Finally, we’ll wrap things up with sweet and sour pork (a relative to the salt and pepper pork). The texture is the same light and crispy coating, but this comes with a sweet and sticky glaze. It works nicely together, but I kind of prefer the drier salt and pepper myself. Maybe after a hard day at the office I'd take comfort in sweet and sour pork. It's a bit heavy for me, but not a bad choice.

Next post we’ll go over MORE from Corner 28, Peking Duck (yes it is as delicious as you've heard!), lo mein, pan fried tilapia, and an interesting spin on dessert. Until then, mangia!

Dough Ho, Part 2: Yeh's Bakery

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:12:00 +0000

As promised, another post on a different Asian bakery, Yeh’s Bakery, in Flushing. This was a fun place to visit, and it seems their curry pastry is killer. Another reason to visit.

They have cakes and roll cakes, as bakeries would,

and these buns that I sadly am not familiar with. Might have to do with the Mooncake festival. Something to try next time.

We went to hang out with a friend of The Fisherman in Flushing and, since it was around The Fisherman’s birthday, his friend got him a Boston Cream cake.

Sadly, the cream is a non-dairy creamer base, which isn’t bad, but it’s not…cream. It’s not terrible, I just don’t love the waxy mouth feel after you eat that stuff.

It seems many Asians and people of Asian descent are lactose intolerant (like The Fisherman), so non-dairy is the way to go.

Then here’s a picture of the birthday boy cutting the cake,

and enjoying.

Happy Birthday Fisherman!!

Dough Ho, Part 1: Tea Shop 168

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:46:00 +0000

In general, I try to have a good rapport with everyone in my office, the largest place I’ve ever worked. I think, overall, I succeed. The reality is though, that I have better relationships with some people than others.

Sometimes it’s based on various commonalities, like a love of foods, animals, or art. That’s the way these things go where you have to play nice with others, such as school, and eventually work. I do wish we had naps at work, and perhaps even snack.

Speaking of which, this posting was inspired by both work and snacks. I was having a conversation with a colleague that I really enjoy talking to, and the topic was Chinese bakeries. This is definitely something I file under “Awesome Things The Fisherman Has Introduced To Me and Will Be Eternally Grateful.” While calling both Chinese and American/Western establishments “bakeries,” their styles are quite different, which is what I like.

It’s a fun, whimsical trip in baking, pastry making, and various bread-like treats. They’re on the snack-size, for the most part, are incredibly cheap (I think the max I’ve seen one item is $2.00), and it’s fun to see different versions of what we know as baked goods.

Here I’ll write about one of two places in Flushing, Tea Shop 168 and Bakery and next posting, and close by Tea Shop 168, Yeh's Bakery. Worry not, this topic is far from covered in this one post, mostly because The Fisherman and I do enjoy going to these bakeries.

First up, Tea Shop 168, which is actually more known for its bubble tea than it being a bakery, hence the name Tea Shop and Bakery. It has an incredible breakfast selection, general menu of hot items, bakery items, and of course various teas, bubble and otherwise.

Here are a tiny fraction of items they have here, and usually other similar bakeries.

Pineapple buns, which, actually don’t have any pineapple. The name comes from the texture of the top of the bun, which is cookie-like in texture. Amazingly good!

Steamed pork bun, one of my favorites. I get ‘em whenever I can, and they vary in greatness, sadly.

Cream bun with almonds. Tastes like bread with cream. It's an acquired textural mashup. When in Rome...

Pork floss bun. I think we have a case of lost in translation here, it’s really more like a dry thready bacon bit. Delicious, try it, I promise it’s bacony goodness.

This looks like a boob. Sorry, sometimes I revert to a 13 year-old boy.

Lotus seed paste bun. I don’t love lotus seed paste (as seen in mooncakes), it’s like a very rich peanut butter. Very rich. You might like it. I’d give it another try.

Something more familiar, called strawberry jam and pineapple jam cakes. Never had them, maybe one day...

Roll cakes, bûche de noël eat your heart out! I haven’t had one of these yet, but the soft spongy cake with the creaminess is probably incredible. I’ll keep you posted if and when I can be trusted not to eat the whole thing by myself.

More fun cake in interesting configurations.

Red bean paste pastries. Red bean paste has the texture of really creamy refried beans, but very, very sweet! It’s definitely an acquired taste, but I’d recommend trying it. Many Asian sweets incorporate sweet bean pastes so it’s a regular flavor. I do love it as an ice cream flavor.

And, while we’re talking bakery and not tea, here’s our bubble teas. Definitely not as super sweet as others I’ve had, like in Quickly, which, is good as I’m no longer a teenager and find the sugar overload waaay too much. I’m getting old…

We haven’t figured out what’s up with the labels, we’ll keep you posted.

Well, I hope that’s enough sugar to drag you through this grey, rainy, dreary day here in NYC. At least it’s Friday. Next, we’ll explore another bakery, Yeh’s. Yay Yeh! Until then, mangia!

Sucker Punch Key: The Quest for Pre-Lenten Polish Doughnuts (Packzi/Pączki)

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:24:00 +0000

Lent is around the corner, so what do good Catholics do beforehand? Party it up, aka Mardi Gras. And, you use up all the good stuff, like dairy, eggs, lard, fruit, sugar and meat before Lent, since those were forbidden during the forty days of Lent.

Of course this was back in the day, like the Middle Ages, when Lent was a lot more strict but even today Catholics all over the world party it up before Lent. Usually you don't eat meat on Friday, and you give up something you enjoy for Lent (like alcohol, sweets, swearing), or at least, that's what I grew up doing.

Sadly I did not grow up knowing about pączki (pronounced punch key, the Polish answer to using up all the good stuff before Lent. Think a super rich, brioche-like dough, fried, and filled with a yummy jam or cream. A jelly doughnut? Bah! To call pączki a mere jelly doughnut is like calling Shake Shack a simple burger joint!

A year ago I read about pączki at one of my favorite foodie websites Serious Eats and I've been thinking about searching for it ever since. They also have a recipe for those more adventurous/baking inclined than I am. Actually I thought it proper to taste it first, so I have a baseline, then I'd consider making it. But after trying it, I see why it's a once a year sort of treat. That and deep fried zeppoles at The San Gennaro Feast.

Anyway, onto the pączki. The Fisherman and I made our way to Greenpoint in Brooklyn in search of these elusive fried yummies. But since we were in the neighborhood, we first stopped for something savory at Relax Restaurant. We were a bit early, so we wandered, and noticed other establishments also had the pączki. This seems to be a seasonal thing, so my guess is you get it while you can. But we were after the best, so we held out. We killed some time, got inspired for fried doughnuttiness, and returned to Relax.

After being fortified with Polish home cooking (and me butchering the name of a Polish beer, again), we head off to Northside Bakery. They had some incredible looking baked goods, as well as some standard Polish fare (is my guess). Being novices, we ordered two of each pączki: a cream and cherry, a powdered sugar plum filling, and a glazed plum filling. Here we can see them hiding in the back.

Some cream pączki waiting...

Boy, was that ambitious to order six of these.

These are dense, so much so that The Fisherman and I split all six doughnuts in two sittings. Even doughnut connoisseurs such as we are could not consume a whole one. Besides, it's more fun to taste the slight variations.

First we tried the cream, which turned out to be a rich whipped cream with a bit of cherry. It was definitely cherry pie filling, which I had no issue with. Creamy, with a sweet tart cherry bite. Quite tasty.

Next, the powdered sugar plum filling. The plum filling, while sparse, was delicious. Any more would have been ridiculously sweet. The filling also had some rose water flavor, which to the uninitiated could be weird. Many Middle Eastern/Greek/Persian desserts utilize rose water and other floral waters as flavorings, ranging from incredible to tasting like you had to eat soap because you said a bad word.

In this case, it was really incredible. It really made the plum shine, as opposed to mushed prune taste, it brightened it against all that sugar and fat. Really nice. I think this was The Fisherman's favorite because it was the least intimidating in terms of richness.

Here, my pup is very curious about what we're eating, and is quite miffed we aren't sharing, yet.

For me, my favorite is the glazed plum filling. Sure, the sugar is sticky in this one (more fun if you ask me), but the slight vanilla flavor from the glaze also adds another dimension, and plays against the plum/rosewater filling.

One thing I didn't love was the seemingly overcooked taste of the dough, like it was fried way too long. But from the other pączki we saw, that color seems to be the norm.

In the end, it's always fun to visit my ancestral homeland (before I moved to Queens), and to feel like a stranger among others with similar last names, to feel like I belong, but I really don't. It's odd, but it's an adventure nonetheless. It makes me happy to know that after moving over twenty years ago, very little has changed in Greenpoint. I like returning to feel a little closer to a side of me that I'm quite unfamiliar, but am trying to rebuild, for me, and perhaps for my kids. We shall see.

Up next, another culinary adventure...until then, mangia! And a happy Mardi Gras as well!

Hot Pot Showdown, Part II: The Home Version

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:47:00 +0000

As I mentioned previously, if you want to save a decent amount of money (50%-75%), your best bet is to try hot pot at home. In this case The Fisherman had an induction heater, but a hot plate would work or even a sterno can if you’re very, very careful (and don’t have cats that happen to like playing with fire, screwballs).

Aside from that, the rest is super simple. First is the broth, which The Fisherman and his mom highly recommend Little Sheep Hot Pot Soup Base. Seriously, it’s really good. You probably won’t be able to read much of it, but there is some Engrish and that’s very fun.

Here’s his family’s stash of Little Sheep, brought here before you could get it online, since The Fisherman’s mom is hardcore like that.

Next, the spread. The usual suspects are present, various fish/meat balls, tofu, veggies (in this case baby bok choy) and seafood. Keep in mind this is for four people (actually three since The Fisherman’s mom was out shopping for the upcoming Lunar New Year festivities. That’s still a crazy amount of food).

The Fisherman’s family already had this at home, so all we had to pick up was some read meat, namely beef and lamb.

Next, the fun with the raw egg, seasoned and used to cool the very hot food that was boiled in ~~magma~~ broth. If this skeeves you out, then don’t do it. I tried it, I might try it sans egg next time, just to compare.

One of many bowls of hot pot, fish balls, veg. Since you don’t want anything to overcook, sometimes there’s a pile up of stuff. And, if you get something a bit under (like a semifreddo of fish ball), just drop it back in to finish cooking. You know you’ve ingested worse things…

Then, to make things interesting, we tried it with some green bean thread noodles. These cook super fast, and are fun to eat. Problem is, they are SUPER high in carbs, like worse than wheat or rice noodles. I was about to huzzah for finding something tasty, noodley, and lower in carbs. Maybe next time, maybe next time…

Since I’m one to play with my food, I had to fiddle with the noodles. Mmm

And for fun, I was learning how to do this origami-like paper folding (called Zhezhi it seems) with The Fisherman’s mom.

This is mine, it’s not great, but for a first timer, I’m trying not to be too hard on myself.

So, that's Hot Pot 101. And with weather like this, hot pot would be a good idea indeed.

Next time on Full Belly Alchemist, we'll see what adventures we went on, but haven't written about yet. Stay tuned, and mangia!

Hot Pot Showdown, Part I: Minni’s

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Hot pot, huo guo (fire pot), shabu shabu, all different ways to say fondue, but with broth. Fun and delicious! The Fisherman was less than enthused when some friends of his invited us out for hot pot. “I don’t get it,” he said, “It’s just boiling food.” His friend B’s reply: “Right, and grilling is just putting meat on fire.” Touché, B. I never had hot pot before so I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

So, the 101 on hot pot:

Basically you start off with a hot pot of bubbling broth (or two, usually a not spicy and a spicy broth). Then, you add many, many culinary accessories like veggies, meat, seafood, various fishballs/balls of tastiness (that sounds inappropriate…)

Everything is small/flat to make cooking quick. The stuff you put then is then fished out (or, in the case with Minni’s, each person has a bowl of broth). Your cooked food is then cooled off in a small bowl of raw egg and/or various sauces.

It’s interactive, it’s fun, and it’s great on a really cold day (which we haven’t had much of lately in NYC.

According to The Fisherman, some Chinese families will blast the air conditioning in the summer just for hot pot. Something to consider).

I wanted to do a comparison, first of hot pot in a restaurant (in this case Minni’s), and then one we had at home at the Fisherman’s house. TL; DR, if you know someone who does hot pot, or want to be brave and venture to an Asian market, do it at home. Save lots of money for lots of booze, or tasty things to put in the broth. For what you spend for one person, you can feed four or more people. But, like anything else, do it once in a restaurant for the experience.

So, onto Minni’s.

First, the fun adjuster for your pot. OOOO SHINY! I mean, it’s good to keep an eye on it and adjust as necessary, yes. And it’s in Japanese, but I think you get the gist of how it works. Left makes it cooler, hot cranks it up. Food and entertainment, what more could you ask for?

Bubble bubble, toil and trouble, fire (heater) burn and cauldron bubble, mwahahahahaha!

Next we each get a bed of interesting veggies. I don’t understand why the cabbage was in big honking pieces. Sure cabbage cooks down, but still, I needed to gnaw on mine to get it into manageable pieces. I’m also Italian, and therefore have a big mouth and even I needed help! I don’t understand the corn or tomato, I’d avoid the tomato next time, it wasn’t very tasty cooked.

The various fish balls were tasty, the egg was hard to handle given its size and texture. The tofu too basically fell apart, good times. There was also a potato type thing that was interesting…

Ah, the dipping sauces. I made one spicy, with chili oil and scallions, and one with this AMAZING peanut sauce, and chili oil. Some like it hot :)

Then, the glorious meat, shaved super thin for quick cooking. Beef and lamb are standard. You can try chicken, but when you can choose beef or lamb, why would you?

We also got a seafood plate, I thought it was okay, but I find when I’m the one cooking my shrimp it never comes out tasting right, but that’s just me.

Apparently it’s weird that I LOVE raw seafood, but I’m not too familiar with it cooked. That’s how I roll.

And, the bubbling of the tastiness as my food cooks.

Honestly, it was a fun time, but The Fisherman and I agree that the broth was very, very mild (like hot dirty water), and for each plate of meat/veg, etc., it could add up really quickly. It was a fun experience, I highly recommend trying it once, then continue doing hot pot, the home edition.

Until next time, mangia!

Cooking with The Fisherman

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:29:00 +0000

So, more than we post, The Fisherman and I do cook (actually we eat at home during the week, usually healthy boring things, like HUGE salads for me, or whatever The Fisherman’s dad makes for him. We do enjoy eating out on the weekends, but we also like to get some ingredients and tear it up in the kitchen.

Without further ado, The Fisherman whips up some pan fried tofu, marinated chicken, baby bok choy and pan fried noodles.

First, the tofu. Now, we both really like tofu, but this application wasn’t the tastiest. I don’t think the wok was hot enough, because the tofu was coated in corn starch to create a tasty and crispy crust. Instead, it wasn’t. Maybe we’ll try it with a really hot pan next time.

Next he’s showcasing his noodlicious skills. Flipping noodles and whatnot, coated in garlic, some pepper flakes, and chili oil that I made.

A close up of the noodles. Mmmmm.

Next, some marinated chicken with oil, red pepper flakes, garlic and other delicious yumminess. It was really good, juicy, a rarity with white meat chicken.

Finally some sautéed baby bok choy, one of his favorites. I found it loses a lot of moisture, and I think I’d like to try something to make it a bit drier.

Other than that, nothing beats a meal made with love, no matter how it comes out. I love cooking, and being cooked for. It doesn’t have to be beef wellington and baked Alaska, it can, and should be something simple. Besides, who wants you exhausted from cooking?

Next time, I think it would be interesting to compare hot pot at a restaurant in Flushing to the home version. It’s my new favorite cold weather meal. Until then, mangia!

Foodie Frolicking, the Elmhurst Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Back in early January (I can’t believe January’s come and gone, and we’re already in February with Valentine’s Day just around the corner!), a new supermarket opened up near The Fisherman.

He already has a Sparking Dragon market, New York supermarket, Hong King supermarket, and a bit of a walk away, Top Line (which is more Malaysian/Thai/Indonesian it seems).

Now we have Sky Foods, which first opened in Flushing, and one in Elmhurst. We love a good market trip, and a new one is even more fun. Here’s our adventure!

For some reason we found lots of Japanese items, which was interesting since I don’t think we have many Japanese in the neighborhood. Or maybe there’s a wave of Japanaphilia here in Elmhurst? Either way it’s awesome sauce.

Like these rice bowls with maneki neko.

They were so awesome I had to get them. They’re quite nice for making a quick salad dressing or for dip for….veggies.

Hustle cat, awesome. Sadly I didn’t get this one, maybe next time.

More maneki neko stuff.

Sorry, slightly distracted by kitties…

P.S. At SkyFoods they have perks for how much you spend. For example, if you spend $20, you get a free reusable bag (probably red since the New Year just started), and I think if you spend $50 or maybe $60, you get a free oyster sauce. The Fisherman's mom was impressed I knew that.

Up next, The Fisherman makes dinner, yay!

Get Your Meat On! Picnic Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

I’ve heard about this next place from The Fisherman. Finally, on one really chilly night, we went with the Fisherman’s Mama to Picnic Garden in Flushing Queens. He’d been going on, and on, and on about Picnic Garden, and finally I was like, “OKAY! Then take me there, I want to see if Shangra-La, I mean Picnic Garden, is all it’s cracked up to be.

Picnic Garden is a Korean barbecue buffet (BUFFET!!!), where you choose your meat and grill it yourself on a cute little grill at your table. There are also sides like the customary kimchi, (which I found a bit sweet), noodles, some veggies.

The reality is this is all a distraction, it’s a joke, really. The whole objective of a place like Picnic Garden is the meat! If you don’t intend to eat your weight in animal tastiness, then save your money (it’s about $26-$30 a person).

In terms of meat, it runs the gamut. There’s spicy chicken and pork, beef bulgogi, lamb, varieties of offal (luckily I was spared, I wasn’t in an offal mood at that moment), sausages, and seafood. Actually this unappealing looking white sausage turned out to be an amazing pork sausage which really surprised me. They also had Italian sausage, which made me very happy indeed. The seafood, squid and shellfish, was also quite tasty.

Now, with all this meat, one would guess, is that all you eat? Well, not really. The waitstaff is constantly watching your table and making sure you have plenty of lettuce, all the better to wrap and eat your meaty little treasures, my dear. Then, on the buffet table are whole peeled cloves of garlic, sliced jalapeño peppers, and other condiments.

Now, for those playing at home, you take the lettuce, sauce, garlic and peppers (or not, but what’s the fun in that??), and meat, or any combination thereof on the lettuce, wrap it, and you have a two bite-sized pack of YUM! Incredible. And, with the variety, you can go on a MEATSTRAVAGANZA!!! So many kinds of meat, only so much stomach real estate.

Now, some drawbacks that are minor, but still relevant. First, you have to cook the food, so you have to wait a bit before you eat. It doesn’t take long because the meat pieces are small to cook quickly. But when you’re hungry, and the place smells smoky and delicious, you want it NOW!

Also, you have to really watch the food cooking and basically pull stuff off, put stuff on, and eat the cooked stuff, to keep the pace of cooking and eating. It’s no fun to finish and then have to wait for stuff to cook.

Speaking of smoke, I read in many of the Yelp reviews, which sadly, were by ladies, that the smoke permeates your hair, clothes, etc. Apparently that’s a bad thing, which I don’t understand. First of all, smoky meat smell is awesome. Second, everyone knows the key to a man’s heart is his stomach and smelling like meat is a great way to attract a guy, or keep him if you snagged one already.

I don’t see why smelling smoky for a bit is an issue. But then again my cat Bacon was trying to climb up my leg and demand meat (guess why her name’s Bacon). I was loving it, sniffing my shirt and going, “Mmmmmm.”

Anyway, I think this place was awesome! Can you go and eat that much meat all the time? Not advised. But it’s a fun time nonetheless, smoky scented, meatastic fun.

Next, I’ll write about a great trip to a new local supermarket, SkyFoods in Elmhurst! Until then, mangia!

Anniversary Noms: Book Chang Dong Soon Tofu

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:38:00 +0000

Ah, it's great to be back! So many things to eat, so little time. One brief thing, my two sense about the recent Paula Deen "scandal," if you can call it that.

I wasn't surprised by the news in the least, diabetes is a huge problem in America, and it's because of what we eat, how we eat, and how little we burn off what we eat. I don't think she should be a scapegoat, or blamed for her condition, it's unfair and overly simplistic.

Does she push ridiculously bad for your food? Yes. Does she use more butter than the French? Yes. Does she tell us to eat this all the time? No. Does she hold us all at gunpoint demanding we scarf down one her various Gooey Butter Cakes? No.

Look, it's time we all be grownups, and take responsibility for our actions. Eat the stuff Paula Deen makes on a regular basis, and what do you expect? Don't exercise,inhale your take out meal while on the run from the subway or in the car, and do you think that's really good for you to do all the time?

Granted, she is now promoting the meds she uses for her diabetes, which I find a bit distasteful, but if I were her, I'd probably do the same thing. That's the name of the game, all the big celebrity chefs do it, not that it's right.

So, in sum, I feel I have to say that I don't eat all the fun stuff I'd like all the time, and neither should you. It's not good for you, and it's not worth your health. Have the good stuff once in awhile, but try to be reasonable the rest of the time. I'm attempting yet another way to be more mindful of what I eat, hoping to "be good" during the work week, and enjoying myself during the weekends. We shall see how that goes.

Okay enough preaching and ranting and onto something more pleasant, love and tofu!

During my hiatus, one thing I forgot to mention in my last post was The Fisherman and I had our one year anniversary. To celebrate, we went back to the place we went on our first date (not the lame ass local cafe in our neighborhood where we first went).

Anyway, onto the food: Book Chang Dong Soon Tofu, located in Flushing, has really awesome tofu and pork bone soups. Trust me, it's good.

Here's one page of the menu, the important part, the one with the Soon Du Bu, or tofu stew. This place makes their own tofu, which is pretty impressive in my book. It's like making cheese, but with soy. Anyway, The Fisherman got the So Go Li Soon Du Bu, or oxtail (the man loves his oxtails), whereas I got the Kimchi Soon Du Bu, because I am all about the kimchi.

Before our stews come, our banchan, or Korean sides, arrive. All sorts of goodies await, such as (from left) sprouts (mung bean maybe?), some incredible tofu, cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, some braised pork, and sweet potatoes, I think. Sometimes it's fun to eat and ask questions later, especially if it's tasty. This is awesome because you change change things up as you eat, good stuff, this here banchan!

Now, the stew. It usually comes with a raw egg, which you crack into it, and either leave alone to cook in the stew (which I believe is just a tad hotter than the surface of the sun, so you have to be careful), or I stir up up egg drop soup style. A good rule of thumb at this place, according to The Fisherman, is not to get the really spicy, because it's more like super salty. So we both got spicy, because that's how we roll. You have the egg, the wonderfully eggy feeling tofu, the amazing broth, and if it wasn't just a tad hotter than the surface of the sun I would have been able to eat it faster than a geriatric turtle.

The Fisherman, however, has an ovenproof mouth, and was able to eat his in a timely manner.

And, because the people next to us got it, we had to as well, the bulgogi short ribs. Delicious!

Bulgogi is a type of marinated and grilled meat. I don't care what they put in it, it's delicious. I believe it's soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and garlic, but it could be unicorn tears and I'd still eat. I felt like a beast eating it but it was so tasty!

And what better thing to be propping up this magnificent meat than onions? Bathed in the beefy bulgogi love juice, those were an amazing bonus side. And look at that, a vegetable too!

I'm pretty sure this is The Fisherman's Soon Du Bu, but really they both look very similar. On our first date I tried the oxtail, and I see why so many cultures love the tail of the cow (other's tend to be squeamish so they call it oxtail instead of cow tail, I don't get it). Oxtail is full of yumminess, and makes great soup. This time, my heart was calling for kimchi, and I could not resist the call for kimchi.

Speaking of my heart, I want to take a moment to be sappy and write a little something to

The Fisherman: I'm sorry our other anniversary plans didn't work out the way they should have. To me, the important thing is letting you know, again, how much you mean to me, and how happy I've been in the year since we've been together. The new things you've taught me, about life, about myself, I couldn't have done without you. I hope I do the same for you. I hope I make your heart sing like you do for me, and I'm so glad we found each other. I love you, and I hope we have another great year of adventures together.

><>*<>< (Fishie Kisses), The Pisces

Back from the depths

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:54:00 +0000

Hey readers, if there are any out there. My apologies about being very delinquent in posting. I kept meaning to write to say I was going on a temporary hiatus, but things just got busier and busier, until you look up and see October became November, then December, ...and holy crap it almost mid January!!

See, I work in Nonprofitland, specifically a place that helps make sure seniors who are unable to cook for themselves have something to eat every day of the year. Like any other industry, you have slow times, and busy times. For me, I start getting busy after Labor Day and it only gets worse, and worse, and worse, until about mid January.

During my hiatus, I helped my team of Marathon runners make it to Staten Island for the ING New York City Marathon, worked to sell lots of our holiday cards, sent lots of donation made in honor or in memory of someone special, got many gifts matched by corporations or employee giving programs, and ran lots and lots of credit cards.

It's not a bad thing, because a busy charity, especially since I work in raising money, means we have money to do what we need to do. It means people who normally might not have food on weekends, holidays and bad weather or emergencies do have food. Pretty good food too.

It's not good in the sense that, when you want to write in your blog, for example, you really just don't have the time.

And of course throw in the holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, all the fun that comes with it. And, for extra fun, throw in moving to a new apartment to the mix, and you're lucky if you remember to pay bills, clean, hell, cooking even took a back seat for a few weeks.

But, the holidays are pretty much over, I can actually see my desk at work (it could have been replaced by Legos and I wouldn't have noticed). I'm moved, my apartment's pretty settled, and of course, I have lots of pictures of the tasty adventures of The Fisherman and I.

So, if you're still out there, sit tight, and I'll be back very soon with new places, cuisines and fun times!

Until then, while we're all trying to keep our New Year's resolutions, don't forget that healthy and delicious are not mutually exclusive. Mangia!

Throwback: Dumpling Fest 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:19:00 +0000

In order to fully compare Dumpling Fest 2010 and 2011, I figured the best thing to do was to do a throwback of my visit last year and use it as a basis for this year, since that’s essentially what I’m doing.

I forget where I first heard about Dumpling Fest, considering the amount of food-related emails and blogs I subscribe to. But regardless, I heard about it, and had to check it out.

What I do recall from a year ago is that there were a lot more stalls and dumplings. I think it’s safe to say there were at least 16, I remember dropping a bit more on dumpling tasting than I care to admit. Yet I don’t have that many pictures which I find odd…

Anyway, onto the food!

Whole wheat dumplings from Tang's Natural. I actually really liked the veg ones (left), nice vibrant flavor. Did not miss the meat (my cat Bacon would refer to that as a blasphemy!) Traditional, no. Very appropriate for the area (Lower East Side, and across the street from a Whole Foods, which sells these), yes. Is Tang's Natural also a sponsor of Dumpling Fest? yes...

I believe these are also Tang's natural chicken dumpling and edamame dumplings. Also good, nothing to be disappointed about.

This was pretty awesome. These bao were like palm sized, and I was able to get 8 of them!! Mwahahaha! These are Da Bao veg bao (brown), and chicken bao (white), then repeated. Mmmm. Now this is a meal in itself.

Malaysian lemongrass dumplings. More wrapper than filling, and the sauce was the best part. Not good at a DUMPLING fest.

Typical ravioli, the sauce disappointed me, as it tends to (I'm very picky about my red sauce!). Meh

Pierogi. Notice the browned bits on it, that's from being pan fried, preferably in butter. I will rant more about this in my comparison for the 2011 Dumpling Fest.

And, something fun, sweet rice dumplingsL The darker brown was sesame, the lighter brown had nuts. Crazy texture! Very glutinous rice!

For a first visit, it was fun. Were they outstanding, the best dumplings I ever had? No, sad to say. Were they the most diverse dumplings I ever had in one place? Most def. That's what caused me to keep tabs on this event and come back this year. How did they compare? Stay tuned, and until then, mangia!

Upstate Adventures, Part III: The Final Leg, An NYC-Style Chocolate Shop in Upstate New York

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:56:00 +0000

Ah, our final leg of our Upstate Adventure, yaay!! Another great place introduced to us by Mav, The Chocolate Mill, in Glens Falls, NY (also known as "Hometown U.S.A.", by Look Magazine in 1944).

Now, a chocolate shop like this, in New York City, probably, well, most likely out of my league. But the owners, Frank and Jessica Vollkommer, both pastry chefs, decided to stay in Upstate New York, rather than open their shop in a more metropolitan area.

Mr. Vollkommer is a Certified Master Pastry Chef, only one of a few, along with being an instructor at The Culinary Institute of America. He also won the French government medal for Grand Prize of the Salon at the New York Food Show. Mr. Volkommer easily could compete in a larger city, but wanted to allow greater accessibility to such high end chocolates for more people, like me, and probably you.

It was an incredible experience indeed, for the eyes and the tummy. The Fisherman, myself, Mav and Mav’s mom had dinner here, and of course I had to gawk at the beautiful (and delicious) chocolate.

After Mav’s description of her encounter with the quiche, I had to give it a try. The dressing on the salad was killer, but I also prefer a dressing with more acid to oil. The quiche was delicious, another example of eating less of something good, rather than more of something less good. I will admit I was hungry later, but I should have just gotten more chocolate :)

The Fisherman had a pulled pork sandwich, I think he was happy with it (since I only got one bite :)).

Now of course this is a chocolate shop, so the star here is the chocolate. Not only beautiful from an aesthetic perspective, but delicious as well. After gawking and going back and forth, The Fisherman and I chose a plain truffle, a tiramisu truffle, and a passionfruit one. They were all amazing, but I’ll give an extra point for the passionfruit for creativity. The tartness worked amazingly well with the rich creamy chocolate. I was surprised, pleasantly.

It was an amazing experience. I don't think I'd be able to experience this back home. I had to travel to get chocolate like this. And I didn't even have to go to Paris either!

For next time, perhaps a review of my second visit to Dumpling Fest 2011 on the Lower East Side.

Upstate Adventures, Part II: They Will Smoke Your Hand- Fun Times in Albany and Oscar's Smokehouse

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Onto the second leg of our journey. This place definitely needs it's own post, not only because my friend Mav has been waiting for this post all month. Not only because out of the many pictures The Fisherman and I took, I could only whittle it down to more than twenty pictures. Not even because it is beloved by Rachel Ray. Seriously, watch an episode that requires bacon, you'll see the blue and white package. Yep, that there is Oscar's Smokehouse's famed bacon. That's why they need their own post, they are that awesome!!

Anyway, I dedicate this to my friend, sister in The Great White North, and unofficial possessor of New Yawk City Ass Kicking Street cred, Mav. Thanks for being such an awesome friend all these years (sheeesh, 8 years I believe), and for taking me and the Fisherman on a tour of the lovely Saratoga region.

Enough mushiness, onto meatier matters, ha!

WE'RE HERE!!

Our destination!! The pigs, they speak to me!

Where all the magic happens, the smoke house!

Smoked cheeses. I love smoked foods, I lurve cheese. Smoked cheese, AWWWWWW YEAAAH!

List of delights. The Fisherman and I got the elk sausage, we haven't tried it yet. We shall keep you posted.

More deliciousness!

Praying at the altar...I mean, placing their orders...

Refrigerator of glory!

Cheeses save!! Preferably those with bacon.

Spread 'em! I didn't get any cheese spreads because I'd forgo the crackers anyway...

This semi-Polish girl loves her kielbasa (as does The Fisherman)

Petite ham (means a lady can carry it in her purse, since it's petite)

Chocolate piggies *squee*

Peppermint pigsy dust, delightful

Why the peppermint pig stuff, a primer here

Chocolate covered bacon (I hate to admit this, but I think there should have been more bacon rather than more chocolate. Blasphemous I know!)

The famous bacon!

Tapping my inner Paula Deen. Hey y'all!

When pigs fly indeed!

Our cooler with our booty

Our spoils, spread out (we even got treats for my doggies!!)

All in all, Oscar's is one of those scenarios where you ask yourself, "Is it worth it to pay more for something that is better quality, but I get less of it?" For some people, quality isn't an issue, or it's outside of their price range.

While I'm hardly at the level to go CSA, farmers market and snub my nose at the sub-par quality of most grocery store items, I do think it's a good idea to work towards the "less is more" attitude, where you spend the money on good quality ingredients and food, you just buy and eat less of it. Especially when it comes to the calorie and energy needed foods like meat and dairy. Eat less but better stuff. And you waste less too! No letting food spoil!! As a wise relative and blogger once wrote "you spend one year in Purgatory for every crumb of bread you waste."

Next, the last leg of our Upstate adventure, a lovely trip to a chocolate shop I couldn't walk past if it were located in New York City

Upstate Adventures, Part I: The Drive, Wegmans, and Down Memory Lane with Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Full Belly Alchemist) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:08:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago The Fisherman and I took a little trip to Upstate New York. This all started out as a wedding invitation from my former supervisor and currently one of my closest friends and mentor, known here as Bosslady. It then turned into an epic adventure to an area I haven't been to since I left college five years ago.

Not having a license made things difficult (The Fisherman has a license, I do not, but I am working on it again, perhaps the seventh time is the charm!) Adjusting to being so far away, in such a different place, and not really being able to drive to somewhere else also made it very hard. I mean, I referred to it as Hell With Snow, but I was a bit spiky and feisty back then. I think I've mellowed a bit and the emotional scarring has healed since then. The Fisherman, on the other hand loved college. He attended a school about an hour away from where I did and was thus very excited about the trip.

Our adventure, for the purposes on Full Belly Alchemist, are detailed in three parts (because it is that epic). The first part is the trip up there (about six hours worth of driving), what I do love about Upstate, and taking a trip down memory lane with some buddies from college. The second part is dedicated to another close friend and college buddy. Adventures with her will be written in two posts because on adventure really deserves it's own post! So the second post is dedicated to a great smokehouse near Albany, and the final part is dedicated to this amazing chocolate shop near Albany that, if it were in New York City, I couldn't even afford to walk past, it's that amazing!

Anyway, onto the adventure! After a few days of rain, it continued on the day of our departure. However, as we made our way out of the Bronx to White Plains, a good omen appeared.

Taste the rainbow! Getting out of NYC is always a trip and a half, I think it took us easily an hour or more just to make it this far. And onward we drove...

Disclosure, being New Yorkers who lived upstate/outside of the city, we have a special place in our heart for restaurants/stores not yet found in New York City. One of those places is Denny's, so when the opportunity arose to dine at one, we had to.

So bad, but so good...

I'll spare you the many, many photos I took of the Great White North (which, at the moment, isn't white, but will be soon enough!). Much traveling through Jersey, Pennsylvania, then finally Binghamton, and the rest of Upstate New York. After about six hours we finally make it to the Finger Lakes region, huzzah!!

After hanging out in our hotel for a bit and relaxing, we meet up with some friends of mine from college. They meet us at this really cool gastropub in Geneva, NY called the Red Dove Tavern.

Sadly we didn't take pictures (sometimes this comes off as weird to people, and the lighting was very dim), but the food was quite nice.

This wasn't around when I went to school, but I'm glad I got to see old friends, return to my alma mater, and didn't burst into flames or break out into a really bad rash :)

While on campus, my friends' dog George ran around, having a great time, chatting up the ladies, and making friends.

Now, one of the few reasons why I do miss Upstate New York (yes, I do miss my friends, but that goes without saying) is this A-MAZING supermarket called Wegmans. If you haven't gone to Wegmans before, you don't know what you're missing.The closest one for us is in Woodbridge, NJ, where we have made special trips.

This is not an unusual phenomenon. Those who are first acquainted with Wegmans are initially skeptical, but are soon schooled in the greatness that is Wegmans. For one, it's a nice supermarket. Two, it's not crazy expensive, even for college kids. And finally, the Wegmans family does great things for the community, and is one of the 100 Best Companies to work for in America.

Anyway, some photos to show the awesomeness that is Wegmans!

I saw the sign!! Yaaay, and it's walking distance from our hotel! w00t! And it's open 24 hours!!

CANDY!!!

The famed Wegman's sub. My fav, the Danny's favorite (Genoa salami, capicola, spicy ham). FTW!

Mmmmm

Gummifest!

Our haul on one of our late night Weggies crawl.

So cute, beer named after my kitteh!! Sadly, I don't like the taste :(

And finally, I dedicate this post to the lovely lady who started this whole road trip, Bosslady. Congratulations to her marriage to Mr. Bosslady. Thanks to her getting hitched, I made my way back to where I spent four years of my life,and made many lifetime friendships! May the couple have many happy years together! Salud, and mangia!!

Yay to the happy couple!!

The beautiful bride and me.

The Fisherman and I all sassy.

Up next, our trip to Albany and the famed Oscar's Smokehouse with another BFF, Mav! Get your smoke on!