M is for MMM

New York- Mark Forgione (reposted from beauty blog)

2011-01-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

If you watch Food Network's The Next Iron Chef you will know this chef and this restaurant! Marc Forgione was the winner of The Next Iron Chef this season! Throughout the whole show everything thing he cooked looked so good (he didn't look too bad himself ;)! I was planing on going to NY and was SO excited when I remembered his restaurant was there!

We had reservations for 10:15. We arrived on time at Restaurant Marc Forgione and they still had people at our table. We went to the bar to grab a drink while we waited.

His- Red Wine
Hers- Sparkling Wine

After we got our drinks we were escorted to our table. After our server shared some of the specials of the night we looked through the menu full of yummy food! We decided to partake in the "tasting menu". Words or pictures can't describe how good everything was, but I'll try anyways! To be honest, I wish I took notes on what I was eating!

Left- A bite of a potato in the best cream sauce ever. It tasted like a baked potato but BETTER.
Middle- Butternut squash soup. I didn't think I would like it, but the flavor was so sweet and great!
Right- Celery root puree. WOW! I've never had celery root before but I am definitely a fan now!

Very buttered bread with extra caramelized onion butter.

Left- A palate cleanser. It was some sort of herb you rolled on your tongue that made it tingly.
Middle- Avocado mousse and hiramasa, a preview of the next dish.
Right- The BEST potato chip I've had in my life!

Hiramasa tartar. DELICIOUS. It also cleared my sinuses with the wasabi flavor!

Raw scallops with some sort of oil/lemon sauce.

Raw oyster with BBQ, cheeses, porchetta powder, lime, and a shot of beer. HEAVEN.

The pasta dish. Stuffed pasta with assorted mushrooms (black truffles included), pouched egg, and the best chicken broth. I could not get enough of this!!

Baby halibut, cauliflower puree (my favorite part, it was just soo goood), with a roasted hazelnut and capers sauce. The bones and tail are deep fried which made them edible! The tail had a very smokey flavor but the bones were a little too boney for me (literally!).

Duck with an amazing emulsion of some sort, brussel sprouts, and sweet potato. I'm not a duck fan but this was so good! It tasted like a prime rib!

Aged potato, ribeye, mushrooms, kale, and ginger ketchup. Ginger ketchup should be sold in store nationwide, just saying.

Apple cider sorbet. A nice little light treat before the REAL DESSERTS!

Peanut butter cake with marshmallow whipped cream and ice cream. By this time I could barely eat anymore but I had to have a bite of everything!

Hot chocolate ice cream sundae with a churro like bite. GENIUS. Hot chocolate on top an ice sundae?! Pure genius I say.

After our meal (actually I think meal is an under statement!) the chef himself, Marc Forgione, came to greet us! He was so nice and just so awesome! We all chatted a bit and asked him about life after The Next Iron Chef and then we got a picture!

Matt, Marc Forgione, Me

Around 1:10 am we left the restaurant full and satisfied! It was a very awesome experience and I can not wait to go back to New York just to go there again!

Pho at Xe Lua Vietnamese Restaurant- Chinatown, New York

2010-12-23T18:20:00.001-08:00

Another restaurant we visited in Chinatown, New York was Xe Lua Vietnamese Restaurant. Pho for 5 bucks?! How could we go wrong?!

Iced Vietnamese coffee

Matt's drink of choice in the 30 degree weather.

Hot Vietnamese coffee.

So good and strong!

Pho with garnishes.

Pho with their very distinct green chopsticks.

The food came out fat and hot! It wasn't the BEST pho we've had before. The beef was a little chewy, BUT for 5 bucks a bowl, we were not complaining!

After we ate we looked around at some of the asian markets. We thought this was so interesting.. bins FULL of various dried seafood..

Dried seafood.

We can't wait to go back to find more interesting foods to eat and try!

Iron Chef Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill

2010-12-22T10:39:00.000-08:00

Another restaurant we were excited to visit in New York was another Iron Chef's restaurant. Bobby Flay is a very well known chef on Food Network with many shows. We made reservations for Mesa Grill for 7:00 pm but changed them to 6:00 pm since we wanted to catch an earlier train back to our hotel.

Our server was very friendly and welcoming. She recommended many drinks and appetizers to start off with.

Prickly Pear Martini

A pretty pink drink that our server recommended.

Assorted breads including a corn muffin.

Nothing special about the bread. The corn muffin was a little dry and cold though.

Cornmeal oysters.

We kind of disappointed about this. We didn't know the actual oyster was going to be fried. The sauce underneath was kind of bland and really had no flavor. We would have rather had a plain raw oyster with lemon.

Venison with a pumpkin tamale.

This was Matt's dish. Even though it looked pretty it wasn't as good as it looked. The venison was a little too tough and the pumpkin tamale was just too sweet. Not one of the favorite dishes during our NY trip by far.

Wild striped bass with clams and a clam chowder sauce.

This was my dish. It was okay but I really was expecting more. The fish was a little dry and tough. My favorite thing on the plate was the clam chowder sauce which was on the bottom.

In the end we really weren't that impressed by Mesa Grill. The food was okay but not for the price tag. I don't think this will be a spot on our next trip. Even though the food wasn't that great the service (hostess and server) was awesome. They had a very friendly and knowledgeable staff!

Golden Unicorn Dim Sum- Chinatown, New York

2010-12-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Golden Unicorn Dim Sum is not like any Dim Sum place in Tampa! When we first walked in a friendly hostess yelled across the room, "how many? and do you want to share a table?" A little confused we replied with, "2 and sure". We were brought to a table with four chairs. Two chairs where on one side and two where on the other. Unfortunately we never go to experience the sharing of tables :( We thought it was very interesting though.

Hot tea, something with shrimp in it, and steamed buns.

Some sort of sweet bean paste.

Fried something with shrimp in it.. DELICIOUS!

NO IDEA what this was. I think it was some sort of taro mixed with meat something? Matt liked it. I thought it was "aiiiight."

Sticky rice.

The BEST sticky rice EVER. Stuffed with dried shrimp, chicken, and sausage.

Chinese broccoli with roasted garlic and oyster sauce.

The environment was very casual and the noise level was louder than any one we've been to before. It wasn't loud in a bad way though, it just seemed like the restaurant was a place for energetic happy people! The Golden Unicorn in Chinatown, New York was a great place to start off our New York mini vacation!

Homemade Peanut Butter

2010-09-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

Matt was making lunch for his kids and one of the items included celery with peanut butter. I noticed we didn't have much left but after watching his kids eat them, I still really wanted some. I looked in our cabinets to see if we had any hidden jars but all I found was a bag of peanuts. Then BAM, the idea to make peanut butter had formed! Luckily, making peanut butter did not call for many ingredients (we ha had not gone grocery shopping yet)!

INGREDIENTS

Peanuts- from a can or in the shell

Smart Balance Oil (peanut oil is ideal)

Honey

STEPS

Put peanuts (unshelled) in a food processor. Blend for a couple of minutes. Add a little bit of honey and a little bit of oil.

Keep on blending. Add honey and oil to you liking for taste and texture. It might not seem like its getting anywhere but you have to mix for awhile to get this texture and consistency.

Scoop it out and enjoy!

Cheeseburger Wontons

2010-09-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

We had some wonton wrappers left and felt like experimenting! Good thing for us, they turned out delicious!

CHEESEBURGER WONTONS

INGREDIENTS

Wonton Wrappers

Ground Beef

Oil (for frying)

Ketchup

Mayo

Mustard

Cheese

STEP 1

Brown ground beef. Drain and put in a bowl.

STEP 2

Add your favorite cheeseburger condiments.

Mix together, then add cheese. Mix some more.

STEP 3

Place a small spoonful of the meat mixture on the wonton wrapper.

Rim the wonton with water and fold in half. Make sure you press the ends tightly.

STEP 4

In a pot, add enough oil to cover the wontons. Place 3-4 at a time. They are reasy when they turn a light brown.

This is a great recipe for a snack or appetizers! The taste of a cheeseburger in a bite size crispy shell!

Cream Cheese Dip with Radish and Green Olives

2010-09-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a real simple recipe for a yummy and quick dip.

INGREDIENTS

Whipped Cream Cheese

Radishes

Green Olives

Dill

STEPS

Mince radishes and olives. I have a mini food processor that I used. I bought this thing on a whim and it actually comes in handy more times than I thought it would.

Do the same with the olives. We used these ones stuffed with pimiento.

After they are minced, mix in the cream cheese with a little bit of chopped up dill!

Spread on crackers for a filling snack or spread on cucumber slices for a healthy alternative!

Sale!

2010-09-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

Stock up on this sale! I know we are!

More recipes to come!

Spicy Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

2010-09-04T17:28:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

STIR FRY

Napa Cabbage

Carrots

Edamame

Ginger

Green Onions

Chicken

SAUCE

Chili Garlic Sause

Teriyaki Sauce

Soy Sauce

STEP 1

Cut up all the ingredients.

Use frozen chicken that is thawed a little for easier slicing!

STEP 2

Heat up a frying pan with oil (we used sesame oil). Add green onions and ginger. Let it cook for a minute.

STEP 3

Add chicken and cook until done. Add Carrots, cook for a minute or two. Then add napa cabbage.

STEP 4

When everything looks pretty much done, add an equal mixture of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Then add the spicy garlic sauce (add as much or as little as you want). Then add the edamame last.

STEP 5 (optional)

In a separate little bowl or cup add a teaspoon of flour and mix it with water. Add this watery mixture to the pan. This will make the sauce thicker.

STEP 6

Pair the chicken stir fry with some jasmine rice!

Restaurant- Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant

2010-09-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

We finally tried it! We used a gift certificate we got from Restaurant.com!

Here is our experience at Queen of Sheba in Tampa, FL.

Drink

Hot Tea $2.00

Served with a side of sugar.

Matt ordered this tea that was very good and reminded us of chai tea.

Appetizer

Beef Sambusa

Homemade thin flat bread hand-wrapped and stuffed with a blend of minced beef, fresh garlic, onions, peppers and ginger and parsley

This was SO good! Very crispy thin outside and hot beefy inside! The two sauces on the side were spicy and delicious, though we could not put our finger on what they were.

Entree

Queen's Eight Meal Platter

A combination of four meat and vegetarian entrees from their menu.

Starting at left green item and going clockwise: collard greens, potatoes and carrots, lentils, chicken, lamb, beef, chickpeas, and in the center boiled egg and chicken drumstick. Don't let the portion fool you! When this first arrived we both thought that this plate wasn't going to fill us up. We were wrong.

Ethiopian cuisine does not include silverware. Instead they use injera (pictured above). We tore pieces of this off and used it to pick up the various foods. I wish I had gotten a clearer picture but when we first saw it, it reminded us of rolled up ace bandages. Its very thin and light and so good with the food!

Everything was very good. Even though we thought some things were more bland than we expected, the experience made up for it! This would be so fun to do with a group of people. Interactive food is the best! Matts favorite was the lentil mix and mine was the chickpeas. Kind of weird considering we are both heavy meat eaters.

We will definitely be coming back again, next time with a few more extra people to join in the fun! PLUS we saved $25 with our Restaurant.com gift certificate!

Deals for Dining Out at www.restaurant.com!

2010-09-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

We found this site a couple months ago and have saved so much money eating out! Its called Restraurant.com and they sell $10 and up gift cards at a discounted price. I was a little skeptical at first but I asked my friends who had tried it and said it was legit. Now we are HOOKED! Right now it is only available in the US. They have lots of sales when they sell $25 gift certificates for $2-4 (usually they are $10 for a $25 gift certificate)!

We just got one for Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant, which we are very excited to try (review will be posted after we try it)! Click the link above to see what gift certificates are available in your area. ALSO they are running another sale now for $25 gift certificates for $4!

Crock Pot- Chicken Soup

2010-08-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

A great recipe for sick people like Matt and me! We used all our non existant energy to cut some veggies and throw some chicken in the crock pot. After that we slept for a good 5/6 hours and our dinner was ready.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 Quartered Chicken Thighs/Legs

Potatoes

Carrots

Celery

Half an Onion

Chicken Bouillon

Seasonings (salt, pepper, adobe, garlic powder, etc)

STEP 1

Put the chicken in with enough water to cover them. Add the chicken bouillon.

STEP 2

Cut veggies. Add as much or as less as you wish.

STEP 3

Put on high and take a nap.

STEP 4

Dig in :)

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

- Add rice or noodles for a more filling meal.

- Usually when we make this, we put it on high until it boils, and then we simmer on low overnight, but since we were hungry we put it on high the whole time to speed up the process.

- For an Asian flair, substitute carrots and celery with bok choy and shiitake mushrooms and add ginger, lemon grass, and soy sauce. Add rice noodles too!

Matt and I are going to try Ethopian food for the first time this week! Watch for a new post on our new food experience!

Pasta Salad

2010-08-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

This is my simple pasta salad recipe that everyone loves! Matt and I were not feeling good so there are no pictures :( Its okay though, this recipe is very very easy!

INGREDIENTS

Italian Dressing (one bottle, your brand of preference, I used Wishbone, it was on sale)

Adobo (we use Goya brand)

Garlic Powder

Pepper

Italian Seasonings

Chili Powder

Paprika

Onion Powder

Parmesan Cheese

Tri Colored Pasta

Cucumbers

Red Radish

Cheese

Carrots

Celery

Black Olives

Heart of Palm

STEP 1

Prepare past as directed on package.

STEP 2

While pasta is cooking put italian dressing and all seasonings in a BIG bowl. Like I've mentioned before we really don't measure our ingredients so adjust to your taste. I add more of the Adobe than other of the spices to cut the sweetness of the italian dressing a little.

STEP 3

Cut up veggies to bite sized pieces. We like to use a variety but you can add or subtract more! Some more add ins are tomatoes, onions, green/red peppers, pepperoni, chicken, etc. Add them to the dressing and stir.

STEP 4

Once the pasta is cooked, rinse under cold water before mixing in with rest of the mix.

ENJOY

This is one of our favorite foods for after the pool. This dish can be considered a side or an entree if meat is added.

Simple Pho with Quoc Viet Soup Base

2010-08-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

So believe it or not, Matt actually introduced me to this noodle dish a year and half or so. If you've never had it.. TRY IT! We are always craving it and wanted to try to make it ourselves. After reading tons of recipes with tons of crazy ingredients and tons of boiling and simmering, we took the short cut and got a soup base instead. We were a little skeptical that it wouldn't taste as good as the restaurant but it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

INGREDIENTS

Rice Noodles (not pictured)

SOUP

Quoc Viet Soup Base

Beef Bone (optional)

Onion

Green Onions

Ginger

GARNISHES

Lime

Bean Sprouts

Mint

Coriander

Beef (frozen)

STEP 1

Find a pot that holds 2 gallons, turn on high, and add beef bone.

(this step is optional)

STEP 2

Add onions, ginger, and green onions. Cook on medium for at least an hour.

STEP 3

After an hour or so, it should look like the picture below. Make sure you scoop out the white foam that forms on top. Add soup base.

This soup base also contains packages you drop in.

Cook on medium for another hour.

STEP 4

While the broth is still cooking. Slice your frozen beef in thin slices. Its easier to cut when its frozen.

STEP 5

Also prepare your rice noodel according to directions on the package.

Place them in your desired bowls. We bought these especially for this recipe!

STEP 6

After the 2nd hour, we strained all the veggies and bone from the broth.

STEP 7

Pour broth and beef into your bowl.

STEP 9

Add all your garnishes!

FIN!

If you like it EXTRA spicy, like Matt, add a good heaping of chili hot sauce.

This was pretty darn close to the restaurant versions and we were very impressed! You can freeze the extra broth if you have extra. We tried it after we froze it and everything tastes exactly the same!

Fruit- Sugar Apple

2010-08-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

So Matt and I like to try things that are out of the ordinary. We saw this while we were buying some vegetables. We found out these ugly things are called Sugar Apples. After googling it (we google EVERYTHING) we got excited to try it because it sounded very interesting.

The Sugar Apples

The inside

It was a very messy fruit to eat since the texture isn't solid like a real apple. It is slimy and messy but all worth the fuss. They were very sweet and reminded us of honey. Oh but be careful, according to google, the seeds are toxic!

Pesto Tomato Chicken Raviolis with Mushroom

2010-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

So this might not be the prettiest meal you will ever make, but its one of my favorites. Matt first made this for me awhile ago and since then, I've stolen the recipe and called it my own :) Haha, I kid I kid :) Read on to learn how to make "Matt's" pesto tomato chicken raviolis with mushrooms!

INGREDIENTS

Jar of Spaghetti Sauce- your preference on kind and/or brand (we picked a spicy one)

Pesto

Cheese Raviolis

Chicken (we prefer frozen because its easier to cut)

Mushrooms

STEP 1

Defrost the chicken enough where the outside is soft but the enter is still a little frozen (skip this step if you have fresh chicken). Cut into thin slices.

STEP 2

Prepare raviolis according to package.

STEP 3

Heat a pan up and add chicken, then add the pesto. Cook on high until chicken is cooked.

STEP 4

Add mushrooms and stir in.

STEP 5
Add half the jar of spaghetti sauce. You want about the same ratio of pesto and sauce.

STEP 6
When everything is cooked and mixed together add raviolis to the pan.

Mix all together!

TADA! Simple and quick meal for the weekdays. Like I said, don't judge this recipe by its looks!

Drink- Strawberry Kiwi Mint Tea

2010-08-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

Matt: "I'm going to try something."

Eugenia: "What are you going to make?"

Matt: "Just take pictures.."

INGREDIENTS

Mint

Kiwis

Strawberries

Tea (regular or flavored)

Splenda/Sugar/Honey (your preference)

STEP 1

Separate mint leaves from stems and place in a bowl or cup. We don't really "measure" things so add as little or as lot of these ingredients as you want.

STEP 2

Wash, cut, and add strawberries.

STEP 3

Wash, cut, and add kiwis.

STEP 4

Add sugar/splenda for muddling. The added texture from the sugar will help this process.

After the muddling.

STEP 5

Prepare your tea of choice. Matt picked this passion fruit flavored one we had laying around.

STEP 6

In a pitcher add tea, muddled fruit/mint, and ice. Set in fridge for at least an hour.

STEP 7

Strain/filter the chunky fruit and mint parts. We added honey to adjust the sweetness to our liking.

This actually turned out very refreshing and so good!

Fruit- Longan

2010-08-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Longan is a South Asian fruit that is so delicious! Season has started and they are showing up everywhere. They are sweet, plump, firm, and oh so good! We got ours for $2.00/lb. You definitely have to try them if you ever see them!

You bite it to "crack" the outer layer open.

Peel the outer layer off.

Mmmmm...

Be careful, theres a seed in the middle!

We love trying different fruits so if you know of any crazy/weird looking ones that you think we would like, let us know!

Simple Recipe- Udon

2010-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is a simple recipe for udon. Udon is typically served at Japanese restaurants. Making it yourself is cheaper and allows you to add anything and everything you have laying around your kitchen for a quick filling meal.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 Packets of Udon (can be purchased at Asian grocery stores or Ethnic isles at local supermarkets, comes with soup flavor packets)

Bowl of Shrimp

Bok Choy

Mushrooms

Cilantro

Ginger

Green Onions

Hot Chili Oil

Soy Sauce

Chili Garlic Sauce

All of these ingredients are optional and you can alter to taste or whatever you have available.

STEP 1

Follow directions on Udon packets for amount of water needed, different brands vary. Add soup base and all seasonings and herbs.

STEP 2

Add mushrooms and shrimp.

STEP 3

When everything starts boiling add veggies and noodles. We add the green veggies last so they are still a little crisp and not over cooked.

FIN

Serve into bowls and you are done! A simple recipe to make when you need something quick and don't feel like going grocery shopping for odds and ends.

Tip- Flea Markets

2010-08-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

Eating healthy can be pretty pricey sometimes, especially if your favorite vegetables and fruits are out of season. A little money saving tip is to go to farmer's markets or flea markets for fresh and low priced produce!

I got all of this stuff at a local flea market for under $20.

2 Dragon Fruit

2 Eggplants

3 Cucumbers

5 lbs of Longan (will be a post about these soon!)

11 Kiwis

Bok Choy

Chinese Brocolli

Ginger

Green Onions

Mushrooms

Okra

Cilantro

If I purchased the same things at a chain grocery store, it would have been twice the price! Just a little tip to save some money :) There will be a recipe soon for a simple Udon soup recipe with most of the above vegetables just mentioned!

Dragon Fruit

2010-08-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

A new fruit we recently started eating is Dragon Fruit. If you don't know what it is, its a beautiful but crazy looking fruit that reminds us of a kiwi. The outside is a bright pink with bits of bright green. The inside is white with lots of little black seeds (comparable to the ones in kiwis). They aren't sour but they aren't sweet. Its a very mild fresh flavor.

The Inside:

This is what it looks like when cut in half. Theres many ways to cut and peel this fruit. Usually I prefer to peel the outer layer.

As you can see, the outer layer can be easily peeled off.

When peeled, you can dice or slice. Eat it alone, add it to a salad, add it in a smoothie, or do whatever you please! :)

Lean, Mean, & Lots of Greens- Tilapia & Bok Choy/Snap Peas

2010-08-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

TALAPIA, BOK CHOY, SNAP PEAS IN FOIL

This is a simple meal that can be prepared in 30 minutes. Its a healthy but filling meal that will leave you with no guilt after eating it!

Ingredients (makes 2 large servings):

4 tilapia fillets (thawed if frozen)

2 baby bok choys

handful or so of snap peas

cilantro

ginger

lime

soy sauce (use the green top, low sodium if you are feeling EXTRA healthy!)

foil

STEP 1

Preheat your oven to 375F. Place a piece of foil on the counter top and break the bok choy leaves of. Lay them in the center. Add some snap peas on top evenly.

STEP 2

Lay 2 tilapia fillets on top of the bed of greens you just made. Usually recipes call for one fillet but we are big eaters so added a little extra ;)

STEP 3

Squeeze a quarter of a lime on top making sure you get it all over the fish.

STEP 4

Add shredded ginger. If a shredder is not available, ginger sliced or diced will work too. We LOVE ginger so we added lots :)

STEP 5

Next add lots of cilantro. We also LOVE cilantro so we get a little carried away.

STEP 6

Add a big spoonful of soy sauce. You can adjust the amount according to your preferred taste. We actually added an extra half spoonful to this.

STEP 7

Get another foil piece and place it on top of your pile of fish and veggies. Crimp all the edges so you have a tight seal. By now, the oven should be nice and toasty. Place your foil pockets in and leave it to cook for 20 minutes.

STEP 7

After 20 minutes, take the foil pockets out and carefully remove the top. Be CAREFUL the steam will be VERY hot. Then BAM you will then be hit with the most amazing scent of ginger and cilantro!

Gently transfer the whole pile on to a plate. Pour the sauce on top and..

TADA, you have your self a healthy and filling meal that only took 30 minutes total!

Intro

2010-08-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Eugenia and Matt

Hello! This blog is dedicated to all things FOOD! We are big food lovers and love trying and making foods from all cultures, especially with Asian flavors. We will be sharing our recipe successes and recipe fails, reviews from local and non local restaurants, food tips, and more! We are hoping to share as well as learn about other foods that we have not tried before.