Soy Milk by mc559

Milk, that is…

My mother never raised her kids on milk. I guess she missed the American war-time craze of having milk with every meal, even with dinner. (We always used to snicker at that…milk and steak just don’t mix for us). O the joys of immigration. So many things that we just don’t understand in this country.

Milk had three purposes in my mother’s kitchen: cereal, cookies, and the occasional “smashed potato” as my grandmother used to say. Unlike some households that would go through a gallon of milk a day, it would last about three days among six hungry people. In the early days, I remember only seeing the gallon with the red cap. Whole milk. Why bother buying anything else?

Then after my mother had her last kid, all of a sudden the kitchen became health-conscious. Red caps went to blue caps (2%) to yellow caps (1%) to rice milk to almond milk to soy milk. We all took it in stride, but us kids always looked out for the colored caps.

Until I had the worst stomachache of my life. Or heartburn. All I remember was a huge pain before school one morning (and yes, she still made me go). We didn’t connect the dots until after I started realizing that cow milk wasn’t agreeing with me anymore. I wasn’t lactose-intolerant, but cream- or milk-based foods were giving me trouble. I couldn’t stand the taste of fat-free water, I mean milk, so I tried out the soy milk.

And boy, did my eyes open REALLY wide. Original soy milk was ok, but vanilla and chocolate flavored soy milk tasted like ice cream smoothies. AND I could pour it over my favorite cereal? I was sold.

But is soy really that much better for you, or is it just a matter of choice? Let’s see..

According to LIVESTRONG, soy milk and cow milk have only a few differences. Soy-paraders claim that since the milk comes from a nut, it should have a lot more protein. Actually, cow milk has 7 grams of protein while soy has 8 grams. Big whoop.

What about fat? We’re all fat-crazed nowadays….they both have the same amount: 5 grams.

What soy milk does have is omega-3′s, that magical nutrient that we don’t have enough of. But what does cow milk have that can’t compare? Calcium.

So it is really your choice. I switched because it works for me. I get my calcium, though. Yogurt and cheese does the job just fine.

she drinking coffee by katlevphoto

I’m trying to kick the coffee habit, and I was good for a while, but lately I’ve been needing some ‘Joe. So which to choose? I’ve seen Starbucks across the street from a Dunkin’ Donuts so many times in New York that I’m wondering why people choose the one they go in to. As for me, here’s my take.

When I want a sugar high….Dunkin Donuts.

When I want to look cool for a price….Starbucks.

When I want hot chocolate…Dunkin Donuts.

When I want something other than donuts with my coffee….Starbucks.

When I want an Iced Coffee….Dunking Donuts.

When I want a Hot Apple Cider….Starbucks.

When I’m in a rush…Dunkin Donuts.

When I have an extra two dollars in a rush…Starbucks.

When I have to buy breakfast on the road…Dunkin Donuts.

When I want to do some work while having a coffee….Starbucks.

When I want a slushy…Dunkin Donuts.

When I want tea …Starbucks.

When I could care less…Dunkin Donuts.

When I want to feel cultured…Starbucks.

That’s really it. That’s how I choose. I could go into detail about selection, service, coffee size…but there is very little consistency anyway. I’ve been to a Starbucks in Midtown and in the ghetto…yes, they do exist. People are people, and so is business. But you really want to know how I beat this decision?

I go to the bodega on the corner from my job, and neither of these places can beat that tall Hazelnut Coffee for a buck.

Cashew Chicken

Bright, colorful, and fun…and good for you, too!

I feel really proud of myself. This is one of the dishes I need to pat myself on the back on. Its looks gorgeous, tastes better than the takeout version, and is extremely good for you. It combines vegetables, lean chicken breast, and herbs. You don’t even have to eat it with rice, its that flavorful.

I always buy the tins of the mixed nuts or trail mix with the intention of having it as a snack every day instead of what I usually grab. But those plastic tins that cost about 8 bucks just stay in their cozy corner of my kitchen island, staring at me when I dig deep to get pasta or crackers. Like they are saying “mmmm hmm…we still here, lady.” Shameful.

But I did use it for this dish by filtering out all the cashews. When I first had chinese food (I was in college….yea, it took me 18 years), I ordered only one thing: Sesame Chicken. It took me another few years to order mixed vegetables with white rice, and then more years to order other takeout. That was when I discovered cashew chicken, beef and broccoli, and garlic shrimp. Why was I so scared to eat it before? Blows my mind.

Cashew Chicken

CASHEW CHICKEN

2 tbsp canola oil
1 chicken breast, split and cut into bite size pieces
1/4 dried chili, minced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 – 2 tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste 

1. Heat the oil and add the garlic and dried chili. When garlic is golden, add the chicken breast. Sautee until all sides are cooked.

2. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, and bell pepper. Stir to coat and sautee until bell peppers become a bit soft (but not translucent)

3. Add dried parsley and mix until parsley is reconstituted with the juices.

3. Salt and pepper to taste. Sautee until most of the juices evaporate and serve with brown or white rice (or alone!)

Cashew Chicken

Frustration by Nicole Pierce Photography

I have something to say..

I’m not going to lie. When the Food Network came out, it was like a miracle on TV. Before the Food Network, I had to depend on public TV programs on early Sunday mornings and afternoons. I liked, but was limited to, Julia Child, Ciao! Italia, East Meets West, Two Fat Ladies, Lidia’s Italy, and Great Chef series. Remember those shows? I’m not that old, but I remember these pioneer programs. I’m impressed with The Cooking Channel’s homage to these older shows by playing re-runs of Julia Child, but I honestly think she’s in their playlist just until they start racking up their main cooking shows. (They are clearly still trying out new pilots).

I can go on and on about the Cooking Show frenzy, but I will start this topic by letting something off my chest. I really…REALLY…despise what many of these cooking shows have done to the cooking world. Most importantly, how they have over-played so many words, techniques, and explanations that I can pin-point what these hosts are going to say and how they are going to say it. Disappointingly predictable. That’s not cooking! It’s listening to a record that’s stuck on replay.

I am not going to call out any specific cooking show host (I hear they are quite vengeful), but I am sure if you’ve seen more than a few shows, you can tell who I am talking about.

1. When using any citrus, making it a HUGE point in showing how and why you have to roll it first.

2. Lemon and Mint, Lemon and Mint, Lemon and Mint

3. Abbreviating ingredients and then saying both terms anyway (…use some EVOO, extra virgin olive oil…)

4. Tablescape….What the hell is a tablescape? WHY????

5. Pancetta and how its not bacon

6. Speaking English and then trying to pronounce ethnic words and believing you are saying them right

7. No one would notice the butter if you didn’t make it a huge deal in the first place

8. “How hard can that be?” and “How easy is that?” – Am I supposed to answer that or is it rhetorical? You ask me so many times I’m getting confused!

9. Smashing a garlic clove first in order to peel it, and then explaining the many reasons why that’s such a great shortcut every, single, time.

10. When using a fresh herb, it is always lemony, bursting with flavor, pungent, woodsy, and gives great color.

and last but not least

11. Making it a point to say that you have to use “good” vanilla, “good” chocolate, “good” wine, and “good” oil. Is mine not “good?” What do you mean by “good?” What is YOUR good ingredient?

So, if you read the list and know exactly what I am talking about, you feel my pain. I think all the hosts should have one big meeting and discuss who has dibs on what they are going to say or show in their episodes so that when a person tunes in after work, the shows are actually different instead of saying the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over…and over………………………………..and over………

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Garlic

I’m back and have some writing to do. Let’s start with this dish….

One of the simplest Italian dishes have to do with taking something from the garden, cutting it up, adding some oil, and putting it on some pasta. It really is that simple. Most any vegetable can be sauteed or grilled, and doesn’t everything taste better with cheese? It always amazes me the goop and heaviness that some cooks put on their pasta. What did the noodles do to them, anyway?

I made this dish when I was still trying out my kitchen. While I should be experimenting, sometimes I just need to get back to basics. Traditionally, this dish is made with Italian squash, light green in color and grows as long as a bat. In the supermarkets, though, you find the usual trifecta: zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant. It looks like this:

Italian Squash

It is much sweeter and goes very well with fresh mint and thicker strands of pasta, like bucatini or linguini. Zucchini, on the other hand, has a deeper and more savory taste. That’s why I chose cheese instead of more garnish and olive oil. Freshly grated parmesan cheese echoed the depth of the zucchini and rounded out the whole dish.

Its a quick dish and something that anyone can cook, especially if its just you. All you single ladies…or guys….or those that live with someone who doesn’t like to eat vegetables and you find yourselves cooking more meat and rice than anything else (or is that just me?)…a dish like this is a welcome treat. It makes those nights where you’re alone not so lonely. And it tastes just as good the day after for lunch, too. Just add a bit more olive oil and it’ll freshen right up.

Zucchini Sauteed in a Pan

Way better than plain old butter and salt.

Summer is synonymous with corn on the cob, especially grilling it. As soon as it gets warm, supermarkets shuck out the corn like like no tomorrow. Get 10 for a dollar! Clean it yourself! They even provide you with huge garbage bins where every grandma seems to crowd in front of so that they can take their time picking out the best corn (and if they don’t like it, throw it back even after it is shuck-ed).

Yet I have no BBQ. Shame, isn’t it. But alas, those of us in apartment housing know this feeling. One day…one sweet day we will have a BBQ. The indoor kinds are not bad, but its not the same as the smoky taste of real coal leaving ashy grill marks on your corn (or meat, or veggies, or fruit, or practically everything else that is grillable…even salad!)

This kind of corn, though, I find to be a bit more elegant. No grill marks, but delicately scented with herbs and a slightly creamy texture from cheese melted by its own heat. To the butter, I added extra virgin olive oil flavored with minced garlic, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and dried parsley (fresh would be better). The taste became light and fresh instead of the traditional greasy feeling of melted lard. The result was a dish I can find preceding an entree at a French restaurant without the rugged, country feeling of a crunchy (and messy) corn on the cob. But fair warning…you would still have to use your hands to eat it.

Gourmet Corn

GOURMET CORN

2 corn on the cobs, cleaned
1 – 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp fresh parsley)
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Submerge the corn in a pot of warm water. When it starts to boil, add salt. After 5 – 10 minutes (or until close to desired crunchiness), remove pot from heat and cover.

2. In a frying pan, heat the butter and oil. When hot, add garlic, parsley, pepper, and parmesan cheese. Whisk until all ingredient combine and cheese melts. Set aside.

3. Take each corn on the cob out of the water and dry. Place each cob in the pan with the butter dressing and roll it about until well coated with all ingredients.

4. When plating, garnish each with a bit more parmesan cheese on top. Serve with napkins!

Gourmet Corn

Watches by findingtheobvious

Lately, I’ve been a little off…Here’s why…

For those of us that are overachievers, unfinished business is downright annoying. Unfinished projects keep your up at night. And there’s always something else to do! One more thing! And then? An interruption…and then?…another interruption…How the HELL are we ever going to get anything done?

I’m a victim of my own high standards. I know this. I’m ok with it. Hey, it got me this far and I think I’m doing pretty well. But do I need the stress? Definitely not. This blog is one of them. I have such great ideas and a vision, even a routine in my head about when i should write and about what, but it never gets done. And hasn’t been for the past few weeks. Granted, there has been some major changes (and tragedies) in my life. But now I got to kick myself in the butt and get this rolling again.

I always have multiple things going on, projects to finish, a list of ideas on my corkboard staring at my in the face everytime I walk into the computer room…waiting to be checked off. I’ll give you an example. Right now, I am think of the following proejcts off the top of my head that I still have yet to finish, or at least being routine at:

1. Writing on this blog (obviously)

2. Photographing meals (I purposefully put the camera on the dining table but its half eaten before I remember lately)

3. A scarf I started last October (no need for it now, but hey maybe I”ll finish it for this winter!)

4. Adding sketches to my sketchbook

5. EXERCISING!!!!!!

6. Restarting vlogs

All of those things I figured I could do, rather…WANT to do. Where’s the time, though? For #5, I know I know…you got to MAKE the time. And you want to know when that time is going to have to be? At 5 AM, otherwise it won’t get done. If anyone knows the secret to working out that early, PLEASE let me know.

The rest…make the time, too. Make a routine, yes I know. Don’t do everything at once, yup I hear ya. Take into account the dog, cooking, cleaning house, doing “work” for work, caring for family members…I don’t seem to see the time. I’m not a great multi-tasker, either, especially when it comes to projects or hobbies I care about. I could very well be working on my scarf while intermittently typing this post, but then neither will get any progress. That’s the bane of being a perfectionist.

And that is what I am going to have to limit. Life isn’t perfection, right? I’m in a profession where there’s always something that goes wrong every day but we still make it through all right. Henceforth, I shall apply the same philosophy. Writing posts will be regular, even if it takes away from less important things. Snapping my food pics will have to be regular, otherwise there would be no posts!

Can’t make any promises, though. Wish me luck!

P.S. This post was inspired by my fiance’s latest post found here.

pan by waferboard

For those embarking on the journey.

My fiance and I had just moved in together the past month. And since I’m the cook between the two or us, there are some revelations I’ve had over the past few weeks that I’m sure would help anyone thinking about moving in with someone else. Granted, this may not be typical or according to everyone’s expectations, but for those interested in keeping up with their cooking and baking on a budget – and without argument – here are a few tips.

1. Go food shopping together. I cannot stress this enough. One of the biggest bills every month is from food and groceries. When going to the market together, you can narrow down choices and make compromises so you don’t have to buy double the amount of items or food that will go to waste.  And arguments about “did you really have to buy that” or “you know i’m allergic to this” will cease.

2. Make a list – and prioritize. Always keep a running list of items that you need stuck on the refrigerator in two lists: Next Trip and Necessities. That way you know which items you use more than others and can make a trip to the corner grocery without going on a shopping spree. For us, necessities are juice, milk, eggs, and fruit. We drink juice like water. And I drink milk by the gallon. When it runs out, on the list it goes until one of us can go downt he block to hold us over until our next market date.

3. Make a menu plan. I try to plan mine weekly and based on the ingredients I have that have to get used or that I bought on sale. But it can be done for the next two or three days if you wish. When cooking for one, I did not have to worry about defrosting an entire london broil the night before or making a dish I’m not used to cooking. Now that I do, I have to make it a point to think ahead of what I have to cook the next day so I have the ingredients the night before. I can just hear my mother, “All we think about is food!!” Well, if you want to eat…you kind of have to.

4. Promise to buy healthy when possible. Surveys show that when a couple moves in together, their weight gain increases. Why? Because now instead of going out or “making the time” to see each other, couples become more of a homebody. It also feels good to nosh on your favorite foods with your honey. Why not? So instead of buying your chips, either not buy them or get baked tortilla chips. Ice cream -> frozen yogurt. I’m trying to enforce a NO-SODA rule. This is the hardest part I’m having to deal with.

5. Divide up chores and make a routine. Many arguments between couples stem from petty annoyances. And they tend to blow up within the first few weeks of living together. We have such high expectations and when reality sets in, things aren’t as heavenly as we want them to be. It is great to be living together, but there are also other things that we tend to forget. When I cook, he does the dishes. When he cooks, I do the dishes.

Same goes for my dog, that he so lovingly adopted. Though I do most of the work and have the responsibility, it’s great to know that HE agrees to split the walks and take care of her before bed. I mean, who can ignore this face…

Nina under the Table

Chicken with Lemon and Mushroom

A light and fresh summer pasta

It’s been abnormally hot lately in New York. Spring was cold and rainy, and within a day it became muggy, hot, and humid. Besides having water and cold fruit all day, eating a meal is becoming tiring. I still have to break into my new kitchen (just moved), so I have to get used to where everything is and what temperature my oven really is when it’s 350.

This dish is comforting but very light. Instead of regular pasta noodles I used egg noodles. I also found out that cooking mushrooms takes even less time than I thought. They tend to shrink a lot when cooking, but all you really need is five minutes. As soon as they get a bit brown, they are ready.

Chicken before

I also found that butter alone isn’t that great when cooking meat. Butter tends to disappear. I added a few drops of oil with the hot butter and it kept its consistency. It helped make a sauce rather than a sticky pan. Next time I’m adding a few more drops.

Chicken and Mushrooms

The lemon juice  helped to deglaze the pan but I wished I would have added it to the chicken beforehand. Just to marinate it a bit. Everything looks the same color here, but wait! It’ll change!

Chicken with Lemon and Mushroom

Once everything is done, it looks quite nice. It serves well as an appetizer because of the simple flavors, too. And for this summer, that’s the way to go.

Chicken with Lemon and Mushroom

CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND MUSHROOM

1 chicken breast, chopped into 1-inch pieces
5 oz mushroom, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
egg noodles, as much as desired
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter and oil in pan. Add chicken to brown/whiten on all sides.

2. Add thyme, garlic, and mushrooms. When mushrooms turn a bit brown, add lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles and drain. Add to pan and add a bit more butter to meld everything together. Serve right away!

Moroccan Fried Eggplant and Carrots

Smokey and succulent

Traditional Moroccan spices include cumin and paprika, both found in this recipe. These are technically two sides put together to make a main dish. Many Moroccan dishes have a fresh salad, fresh or fried vegetables, and/or a dipping sauce (like yogurt or chutney).  Main dishes usually include a meat such as lamb or beef, as well as a starch – typically rice. Put it all together and you have a personal buffet of delicious foods. Since most of the recipes call for the same seasonings, each dish echoes each other.

I have never made this before. Since making it, I know what to change. The original recipe called for mixing all the dipping ingredients into a batter before dunking the eggplant slices in it. Next go around, I will lay it out in an assembly line much like how you would make french toast: First flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. That way the frying is more even.

The carrots were great. I did not have the lemon juice and fresh cilantro the recipe called for, but it tasted great on its own. Adding those two ingredients would make it sublime. I’ll add them to the recipe below.

Moroccan Fried Eggplant and Carrots

MOROCCAN FRIED EGGPLANT AND CARROTS

For the Eggplant:

4 Eggplant Slices
1/4 cup of flour
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp cumin
Canola or Vegetable Oil for frying
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Make dredging stations for flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs.

2. Add cumin, salt, and pepper to flour.

3. Dip each eggplant slice into flour mixture, then the egg to coat, then the breadcrumbs on both sides.

4. Place on a dish and set aside.

5. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. When heated through, add each eggplant slice and brown on both sides until golden brown.

6. lay each on a papertowel on a serving plate to absorb excess oil.

For the Carrots

1/2 cup of baby carrots
salt and pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil

1. Boil the carrots 10 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil and add garlic. Stir two minutes.

3. Add carrots, cumin, paprika, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sautee until well coated and serve with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top.

Moroccan Fried Eggplant and Carrots