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What Makes a Great American Food City?
What makes a great modern food city in America? Over the nearly five years I roamed the country as Eater’s national critic, this question almost involuntarily rumbled through my brain. Some standout criteria are obvious: A city’s dining culture needs baselines of excellence and eclecticism in every tier of restaurant. It needs first-rate grocers, farmers markets, and single-focus shops (coffee, ice cream, wine, bread, and pastries). Restaurant-goers should support culinary traditions but, at the same time, encourage creative momentum. And the “sense of place” about which food writers love to crow must include an innate respect for a city’s collective communities, both rooted and new.
But at some point during my wanderings, I realized greatness might boil down to the Long Weekend Theory. The core hypothesis is this: In most every American city with a sizable population and sufficient degree of cultural density, you can eat (and drink) with consistent pleasure throughout three leisure-filled days.
Almost anywhere, for example, you could kick off Friday at the irreverent cocktail bar; fill the major meal slots with the buzziest restaurant in town, the big-ticket splurge, and the indie marvels serving regional dishes from, say, Mexico, or Thailand, or Syria; go crazy at the do-what-we-want sandwich shop serving delicious monstrosities; moon over the soulful pie counter or the ice cream parlor concocting mind-jangling flavor combinations; and wrap it all up with one final blowout at the coolest breakfast hangout in town.
So the real test of a superior food city is, what would happen if you kept eating past the dreamy Monday-morning breakfast?
In a merely standard city for dining, a steep drop in quality and enticement becomes evident. Other hyped restaurants wobble in execution; places serving similar cuisines seem to duplicate one another’s menus. A great food city surpasses the long-weekend itinerary. It is replete with restaurants that deliver their own unique versions of the special something that can make dining out one of life’s sincerest joys.
Of course it’s unrealistic to expect that every meal at every restaurant will be near-mystical in any place. But an exceptional dining town has enough restaurants delivering abundant individuality and constant attention to detail that the choices don’t feel limited to a dozen or fewer true standouts.
Our most immense and our most richly aesthetic metropolises (New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans) can pass this test easily, as do the expected smaller urban centers whose food scenes draw plenty of notice, like Austin, Charleston, and Portland, Maine.
But what about a place like Phoenix? It’s the fifth-largest city in the United States by population, and, including adjacent cities such as Scottsdale and Chandler, the country’s 11th-largest metropolitan area. Despite its magnitude, Phoenix’s restaurant scene largely goes overlooked in the national media. There’s a vague perception of the city as an indistinguishable, sprawling flatland full of middle-of-the-road dining options, many of them chains. Local publications are acutely aware of its reputation as a culinary dead zone.
Scattered national acclaim does materialize. Veteran local chefs like Kevin Binkley (chef-owner of the tasting menu restaurant Binkley’s) and Silvana Salcido Esparza (lauded for her Barrio Café and sublime chiles en nogada) receive steady nods as James Beard semifinalists. Chris Bianco, whose game-changing Pizzeria Bianco has made him the country’s most famous pizzaiolo, is Phoenix’s most recognizable food ambassador. On a countrywide level, that’s about it.
I’ll admit to largely ignoring Phoenix on my Eater beat. I went once during those five years, and even then sped through only a polite survey of the town — I was really there to research a story about Bianco and how his dominion had grown since I’d first tasted his pizza in the 1990s. This past September, the Association of Food Journalists held their annual conference in Phoenix. I didn’t go, but the few attendees I informally polled about their dining experiences didn’t seem overly impressed.
Still, I wondered if treasures had gone unnoticed. Latino residents comprise 41 percent of the population: Surely they were paragons serving specialties from the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora? Ranching and agriculture is a $23.3 billion business in Arizona, and the intense heat equates to unique growing cycles: Asparagus was in high season during the February when I blitzed through Bianco’s restaurants. What other chefs were plugged into the rhythms of the Arizona seasons, and how were they expressing them? Dominic Armato, dining critic for the Arizona Republic, ate hard to compile a recent list of his 100 favorite metro-area restaurants. His roster of curries, tacos, tasting menus, biscuit sandwiches, and dishes that defy easy labeling makes a compelling case for the scope of local dining.
So in October I returned to Phoenix to see if the Valley (as its metro area calls itself) could pass — or surpass, really — the long-weekend test. I came for seven days to understand dining in Phoenix as best and as quickly as I could. A week, obviously, could never be enough to truly absorb the depths of a city’s food culture, though I trusted it was enough to judge if we’ve all been missing something. Or not.
Dinner at Tratto, a handsome restaurant of calming white walls and oak in the Town & Country shopping center, began with chicken livers spread over some righteously charred toast. Sweet-sour plum jam offset the livers; the fruit was left in big, melting hunks and scented with lemon verbena. Wide-mouthed rigatoni came next, sauced in a guinea hen ragu whose lightness felt ideal for a warm Arizona fall evening.
Conveniently located right next door to my favorite branch of Pizzeria Bianco, Tratto is the restaurant I’d most fervidly recommend to anyone visiting Phoenix right now. The finessed cooking, focus on stellar ingredients, and spirit of generosity put it on par with the finest modern Italian restaurants in the country.
A colleague and I ended up sharing the pork chops with apples, and a side dish of garlicky oyster mushrooms, with the group of four seated next to us; it was our sixth meal of the day. We were pointed toward a bottle of Klinec Medana Jakot, a funky Slovenian varietal that was as orange in color as it was in its citrus-blossomy notes. The wine saw us through to the finale, a wedge of custardy lemon tart exactly right in its simplicity.
Tratto opened in 2016 to rhapsodic reviews by local critics. Why don’t more people know about it coast to coast? As a maker of best-new-restaurant lists, I’ll speak to my own (flawed) thinking: Chris Bianco owns Tratto, and I didn’t think he needed any more attention. Yet Bianco has moved into a career phase where he is as much or more of a restaurateur and mentor as he is a chef. At Tratto, he cedes some of the spotlight to the energized team of chef Cassie Shortino, pastry chef Olivia Girard, and beverage director Blaise Faber for the day-to-day operations.
Bianco steps into more of an advisory role at Roland’s Cafe Market Bar, an all-day restaurant launched last year as his collaboration with Armando Hernandez (who previously worked for Bianco), Seth Sulka, and Nadia Holguin. In my long-weekend matrix for Phoenix, Tratto is the Friday-night stage-setter, and Roland’s is the Monday-morning finale. Hernandez and Holguin, who are husband and wife, also run three-year-old Tacos Chiwas on McDowell Road, a bastion of old-line Mexican restaurants northeast of downtown. “Chiwas” riffs off of Holguin and Hernandez’s heritage; both have roots in the northern border state of Chihuahua. The tacos and burritos at Chiwas are solid, but the gorditas — yawning wheat-flour pockets most memorably filled with deshebrada roja (shredded beef in red chile sauce) — steal focus from every other dish.
At Roland’s, the Mexican-with-hints-of-Italian cooking is uplifting and individualistic. An open-faced (read: pizza-shaped) quesadilla dotted with mortadella and asadero cheese is a palpable tribute to Bianco, whose company provides the organic Sonoran wheat flour for the tortilla on which the quesadillas are built. Yet this is really Holguin’s show — an expression of la cocina norteña (the cooking of northern Mexico, born of its desert and Gulf of California geography) that merges her background and her culinary training.
Beyond the fantastic quesadillas (they rightly star on the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus), the entomatadas highlight Holguin’s precision with textures: crisped and stacked corn tortillas bathe in chile-spiked tomato sauce, fused by shredded asadero melting in the heat, and crowned with a fried egg. Alongside the flaky, painstakingly plaited empanadas filled with cabeza (beef head meat), ask for an array of salsas, bright in color and flavor, that aren’t automatically brought to the table. Chihuahua is the spiritual home of the burrito; Holguin fills her concise, captivating version with pork saturated in ruddy, garlicky chile colorado.
Breakfast or lunch at Roland’s makes for an apt conclusion to a long-weekend agenda, especially in how it frames la cocina norteña: This is a chef ascending to her deserved platform. If in a decade Phoenix becomes nationally synonymous with chefs ingeniously upholding and interpreting variations on northern Mexican cuisines, I predict Roland’s will be seen as a major touchstone in that progression.
Before a meal at Roland’s, seek out some Sonoran- and Chihuahuan-style cooking throughout the Phoenix metro area: It puts a nationally under-sung aspect of the city’s culture in delicious perspective. A rambling Saturday outing began for me with those lush wheat-flour gorditas at Tacos Chiwas. At the original Carolina’s Mexican Food, not far from downtown, sunshine slipped through narrow windows, revealing a nearly imperceptible blizzard in the streaks of light. The air was filled with flour; Carolina’s doubles as a tortilla factory. I ordered a simple, blazingly hot burrito wrapped around scrambled eggs and machaca — a Sonoran staple of dried and rehydrated beef, served shredded and often combined with other ingredients.
I’d return to Carolina’s for the atmosphere, but El Horseshoe Restaurant, on an industrial stretch west of downtown, is the place to truly savor homemade machaca for breakfast. Here, the Avitia family sautees it among potato, egg, and onion, its concentrated beefiness permeating every molecule of the dish, with sides of rice, beans, and a freshly made tortilla. The state of Sonora, beyond its desert interior, stretches across much of the Gulf of California’s eastern coastline; Horseshoe serves a restoring version of cahuamanta, a classic brothy stew bobbing with shrimp and pearly hunks of manta ray.
For a deeper immersion into regional seafood dishes, I swung by El Rey de Los Ostiones, a seafood market in a low-slung strip mall northwest of downtown. The bilingual staff graciously quizzed me on my tastes, finally delivering customized aguachiles and ceviches full of shrimp and oysters, along with several kinds of hot sauce and other condiments to tweak the seasonings. A 10-minute drive from El Rey, I had my favorite tacos of the trip at Ta’Carbon, an always-packed draw specializing in carne asada (among other meats like lengua and cabeza) grilled over mesquite.
Before the afternoon ended I veered off the Sonoran trail for a “taco” of another kind: a puffy, palm-scorching, mood-elevating flatbread filled with green chile-laced beef, refried beans, and cheese at the Fry Bread House, a Phoenix institution started in 1992 by Cecelia Miller of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Restaurants serving American Indian cuisines are too few around the country and in the Southwest. Kai, the flagship restaurant at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass and one of the Valley’s toniest dining experiences, vaguely themes its dishes in Native American directions with indigenous seeds and beans and plants. But really, Kai falls more into the category of modern-American splurge restaurant.
The signature grilled buffalo tenderloin came surrounded by sides and adornments straight from 1990 — smoked corn puree, cholla cactus buds, a light chile of scarlet runner beans, chorizo, a drizzle of syrup made from saguaro blossoms — that manage to coalesce. That entree is $58. The setting, with the sun disappearing behind mountains in the distance, is gorgeous, but for a more consistently dazzling and sure-file splurge, I’d suggest Binkley’s immersive tasting menu, or Silvana Salcido Esparza’s Barrio Café Gran Reserva for beauties like pan-seared corvina served with rose pepper mole sauce and salsa fragrant with smoky morita chiles (and her chiles en nogada, as superb as ever).
On Sunday, I needed extra coffee to jolt me after Saturday’s taxing schedule. A skillful macchiato and pour over at Giant Coffee animated me. First stop: Little Miss BBQ. Every major city in America has a pit master whose next-level dedication has pushed its scene to great smoked-meat raptures in recent years. Scott Holmes achieved this in Phoenix with his blackened, barky brisket, deliriously fatty in the style of Austin’s famed Franklin Barbecue. Loved the on-theme smoked pecan pie for dessert.
Second lunch, a restaurant recommended by local food-writer friends, was the trip’s sweetest surprise. I’d been briefed on the setup at Alzohour Market. Owner Zhor Saad takes orders and prepares the tiny restaurant’s Moroccan specialties herself. I poked around, looking at the clothing and candies and bric-a-brac she sells in the retail space adjacent to her dining room while I waited for bastilla, the sweet-savory masterpiece traditionally made of spiced pigeon and roasted almonds wrapped in phyllo and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. Saad substituted shredded chicken in her bastilla, but it was among the best versions I’ve had in America. Her lamb tagine was nearly as poetic.
Charleen Badman, chef and owner of FnB, also regularly appears on Beard semifinalist lists; her restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale gave me the trip’s most accurate and evocative sense of Arizona’s growing cycles. Salads of persimmon and pistachio, or little gem with pears, plums, and pecans; rice-stuffed squash blossoms with a riff on shakshuka made with summer squash; sheets of pastas entwined with foraged lobster mushrooms: I felt myself settle into the land in Badman’s dining room. Like many modern chefs, she thinks about flavors globally. For example, wonderful lamb manti (Turkish dumplings) dolloped with yogurt, sprinkled with pine nuts, and served in butter flecked with urfa chile was one of several dishes that evoked Middle Eastern cuisines. That dish also paired well with a fairly spectacular syrah from Rune Wines, a luminary among Arizona’s maturing viniculture industry.
I sat finishing the last bites of huckleberry-lemon sponge cake with fig-leaf ice cream, thinking that in a city with a glossier dining reputation, Badman and FnB would be basking in even more accolades. If I’d have beelined to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport right after this dinner, I would have climbed into the heavens happy and sated.
A quartet of Addison’s favorite tacos in Phoenix, at Ta’Carbon
Assuming that most people don’t gorge through a city like a food critic on a research jag, I’ve detailed more than enough meals to exceed a long eating weekend in Phoenix. (And here I’ll fill in a couple of potentially empty slots in the Long Weekend Theory itinerary I vaguely followed above: You can drink as well as you eat at Tratto, but for a pre-Friday night dinner starting point, the move is Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, cheekily located in a building where the Arizona Prohibition Headquarters was once housed. Also, for a second breakfast option, try local darling Matt’s Big Breakfast for Americana personified.)
Sure, there were ups and downs as I continued grazing through the area. Other charmers included Pa’La, where Claudio Urciuoli writes out his affordable daily menu on a chalkboard behind the counter, anchored by a top-shelf mix-and-match grain bowl. But there were mid-level letdowns, too. Two memorable disappointments came from newer arrivals with strong local word of mouth. Maybe I totally misordered at Cotton & Copper in Tempe, but the oddly mealy corn dumplings in parmesan cream and carpaccio topped with citrus segments and chunks of chewy cheese felled my dinner at the bar. And I was intrigued by the promise of “modern Southwest cuisine” at Ghost Ranch in Chandler; that amorphous genre could use some sharp redefining. I didn’t find it in a ho-hum sampler platter (pork and chicken enchiladas, cheese-filled chiles rellenos, grilled skirt steak) and bland grilled chicken with polenta and green chile jus.
Overall, though, I left impressed by Phoenix. I knew there were pleasures and pockets of potential gems I’d left untried: dim sum at Mekong Palace Restaurant in Mesa, other serious pizzerias spurred by Bianco’s success, and upscale stalwart Rancho Pinot, for starters. But even after only a week of immersive gorging, it’s clear that dismissing the Valley as a snowbird’s destination for chains and lowest-common-denominator palates is anachronistic and plain wrong. I’d nudge other national food writers to come test out the Long Weekend Theory here for themselves. Is Phoenix’s restaurant culture on par with a similar sprawl of urban vastness like Houston? Not yet. Is the breadth and depth of dining better than most of us are giving it credit for? It won’t take more than a few happy, immersive days of eating to know the answer is: absolutely.
Bill Addison is a food critic for the Los Angeles Times; he was Eater’s roving national critic for nearly five years until November 2018.
Fact checked by Pearly Huang
Copy edited by Rachel P. Kreiter
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Source: https://www.eater.com/2019/1/23/18183298/best-restaurants-phoenix-scottsdale-tempe
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REVIEW: Pop-Tarts Cereal
Breakfast may widely be considered the most important meal of the day, but I’ve always found it difficult to muster an appetite for much before noon. As a kid, this bothered my mother to no end, and she was always trying to find something, anything, that I would be willing to eat before sending me off on the school bus.
After offering me granola bars, yogurt, and every other remotely wholesome breakfast food known to mom-kind, she found I was always happy to eat a couple of warm Pop-Tarts, no matter how early it was.
Although Kellogg’s new Pop-Tart cereals may have arrived too late to expand my morning meal repertoire, they offer two bowl-bound alternatives to the popular foil-wrapped toaster pastries, and promise, according to the boxes, to pack delicious filling into every bite.
Strawberry
With a strong strawberry aroma and thin glaze of icing encasing each piece, I had my hopes set pretty high on this flavor. Unfortunately, just like the kids who opened presents on Christmas Day to find packages of socks and underwear, my expectations were quickly dashed.
Although the cereal smells like the toaster tart it was modeled after, it tastes much blander. Most of what I noticed at first was the “crust” of each square, which seemed very similar to the pastry dough of a strawberry Pop-Tart. While I’ll give Kellogg’s props for consistency, it makes for a very bland and unexciting cereal.
The much-touted “delicious filling” also turned out to be a much ado about nothing. The cereal pieces have so little of it in them that they appear visibly hollow when you bite one in half. Worse yet, the little amount of filling is hardly delicious, and gives the cereal a strange sort of off-putting chewiness, especially after it’s been soaking in milk for a few minutes.
Purchased Price: $3.64
Size: 17 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 150 calories, 1 gram of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 16 grams of total sugars, 16 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Brown Sugar Cinnamon
In comparison to the strawberry version’s strong first impression, I could tell there was something off about this flavor as soon as I opened the bag. Rather than reminding me of the toaster pastry of my youth, this cereal instead had an unusually strong artificial maple scent, and the squares themselves appeared plain and unappetizing.
My dismay regarding this cereal’s look and smell was entirely justified, too, since it tastes nothing like the Pop-Tart it was named for. Like with the strawberry version, all of the cereal squares were in desperate need of both more filling and more flavor, and the dusting of frosting on each piece was quickly lost in my bowl of milk.
Purchased Price: $3.64
Size: 17 oz. box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 3 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cup) 150 calories, 1 gram of total fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 15 grams of total sugars, 15 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein..
Other Things:
Three cups of Pop-Tarts cereal have roughly as many calories as a foil package of standard Pop-Tarts, so both of these are good examples of the common trade-off between quantity and quality.
Both boxes make a big deal about how having sprinkles supposedly makes eating a bowl of cereal more fun, but the sprinkles here so small you almost need a magnifying glass to see them.
Source: https://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/wordpress/2019/01/16/pop-tarts-cereal-review/
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24 Storage Products Under $25 To Keep Your Leftovers Fresh AF
We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. And FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
Leftovers are awesome.
Leftovers are basically gifts from you to future you, and future you loves food. But unless you've got the right products for storing your excess portions, chances are you'll miss out on the maximum freshness you rightfully deserve.
Reviews have been edited for clarity.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jasonstangelo/storage-container-leftovers
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My Favorite Places to Move My Body in New York City
Until The Wellness Project came into my life three years ago, I had managed to remain a boutique fitness virgin.
I had never been to Soul Cycle or shaken my booty to dance cardio beats. My idea of doing something outside the box was actually using my Crunch gym membership, rather than sitting on the couch, exhausted after a day of catering.
So while it might have taken less will power than The Vice Detox, the month that I dedicated to moving more and trying every type of boutique workout under the Manhattan sun, proved to be the most grueling. I tried kickboxing and spin. Pole dancing and barre. HIIT and SLT.
What I discovered is that I am no basic bitch when it comes to exercise. I’m simply basic in the old sense of the word. I like to keep things simple. Pure. Perhaps even a little boring.
Yoga and pilates remain my main forms of fitness these days, and after trying dozens of studios over the years, I’ve honed in on my favorite styles, teachers, and places to practice in New York.
Since I get asked for recommendations all the time, and am not the kind of person (or, er, influencer) who takes a phone into a workout class, I thought I’d share my favorite places to move my body in New York City on the blog today.
I’m still on the hunt for a great place to try aero or acro yoga, so if anyone has any thoughts, I’d love to hear them in the comments section!
Read on for some of the best yoga and pilates studios in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and other out of the box ways to add a little more movement to your days in the big city. Contrary to these pictures, my favorite is not actually my living room!
In other news, if you’re looking for some accountability on the movement front, the next session of 4 Weeks to Wellness is officially open for enrollment! Week 3 is all about moving your body more, and in additional to the classes I’m going to force you to schedule, you’ll also get my video series of pelvic floor exercises and desk side stretches to work on your posture. More here.
With health and hedonsim,
Phoebe
The Studio (Previously Katonah Yoga Bowery)
If you’ve read The Wellness Project then you know around the time I began throwing out my back, I became disenamored with yoga. Though I’d been practicing since high school, it didn’t seem to be working for my body anymore and only caused my lower back more pain.
I originally discovered Katonah Yoga’s NYC studio through their pilates classes, which were instrumental in getting my core back to a happy place. But once I got up the courage to try yoga again, I realized that I had unexpectedly stumbled into the most magical and different approach—one that stresses alignment more than anything.
The practice was developed by Nevine Michaan at the Katonah Yoga Center in Westchester and is described as sacred origami for the body. The classes are small, hands on (to the extreme) and intimate. It’s often filled with teachers from other yoga studios eager to learn their theories of physiology and how they impact our mental wellness. The classes themselves are the perfect mixture of woo woo and real physical work.
The New York City branch was renamed The Studio last year. Take a class with my favorite teacher, Alex Sherry! She will make you laugh while your legs are burning from a 10 minute forward fold.
Sky Ting Yoga
This airy studio (with locations in Chinatown, Tribeca and Williamsburg) shares many of the same teachers as The Studio. Sky Ting classes tend to be larger format flows rather than the workshop-y vibe of The Studio. But if you’re looking for something more traditional, it’s my favorite option.
Yoga Vida
The best aspect of Yoga Vida is that they offer hot yoga without the stifling, humidity. The studios are outfitted with infared lights, which help draw out heavy metals by heating your body from the inside out, rather than pumping the room with dry heat. I find it much less oppressive and manageable, especially during off-peak times. When the room is packed, as it tends to be after work, the room gets pretty swampy. I also much prefer the flow format to the pose-holding grind of bikram yoga. My favorite teacher is Bryan Nygard (who also practices Katonah yoga).
Fort Pilates
It’s rare to find group machine pilates classes in New York that aren’t set to blaring pop music (I’m looking at you SLT and Flex Studios!). Fort offers a traditional-style reformer class in the most lovely, plant-heavy setting. There are only 6 machines, so spots book up far in advance. But it’s my favorite place in Brooklyn to practice. The teachers are all incredibly knowledgeable and the small class size allows for them to really key an eye on your form.
Chelsea Movements
My favorite pilates place in Manhattan is this gem in Chelsea! They offer group reformer classes, but also fantastic one-on-one instruction if you’re recovering from an injury or just getting started with non-mat pilates. I had a series with Deejay Gray when I first threw out my back and she was a life saver.
Barre3
Though yoga and pilates are more my jam, the only boutique studio I’ve found that speaks to me, while taking my cardio up a notch, is barre3. Sadie Lincoln’s method combines barre, pilates and dance to create one upbeat, lower body burning experience that is both joyful and fun. Unlike many studios in New York, they don’t push you beyond your limit and offer plenty of room to modify movements so you’re honoring where your body is that day.
The Bari Studio
I’ve only gone to this trampoline cardio studio once, but I wanted to add it to the list for anyone who is more inclined to push themselves than I am. The bouncing portion of the class was both incredibly difficult and exhilarating. You can choose between classes that combine all disciplines, or stick to pure dance, sculpting or jumping.
Gotham Archery
I titled this post places to move rather than places to work out since I’m much more game for unlikely sports than I used to be. I’m not sure some would even count archery as exercise. But it sure is FUN! You can take an intro lesson at Gotham Archery in Gowanus and then have access to rent a target/lane anytime. It’s a great weeknight activity to do with friends before heading to dinner or drinks. They also have axe or knife throwing classes!
Citibike
Why spend $40 on a boutique spin class when you can take an incredibly heavy bike out for a spin on the city streets? You might not go as fast or feel as athletic peddling around on one of the city’s bike share rides, but they are actually a serious workout due to their size and build. Besides peddling around a park, my favorite stretches include: Gold Street in Dumbo to Williamsburg along Flushing to Kent (or Fort Greene to Williamsburg from Vanderbilt to Flushing to Kent) or along the waterfront from Dumbo to Red Hook. I wouldn’t try to ride one over a bridge if I were you – walking is much easier with the crowds and more enjoyable.
Tennis at NYC Parks
For $100 you can purchase a permit to play on any New York City public tennis court throughout the season. Most locations are first come first serve, so it’s easiest during weekday mornings or other off-peak times. There are fabulous courts in Central Park, Prospect Park, and our local area, Fort Greene Park. You can also find leagues throughout the summer if you want a community to play with, like the Fort Greene tennis ladder!
What are you favorite places to move your butt? Do you prefer boutique classes or do you make the city your gym? Let me know in the comments!
Source: https://feedmephoebe.com/best-yoga-studios-new-york-city/
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30-Minute Chicken Green Curry
Lightning quick 30-Minute Chicken Green Curry is an amazing, healthful weeknight meal worthy of putting on repeat. All it takes is 7 basic ingredients to make this gem!
If there’s one type of dish I can consume on repeat, it’s curry. This probably doesn’t come as a shocker given the plethora of curry recipes I’ve posted on this site.
Nevertheless, I thought I would show you one of the easiest peasiest ways of making chicken green curry that I could possibly drum up in my noggin.
Because you can never have too many curry recipes at your disposal. No way, no how!
My secret to super easy curry is simply using store-bought curry paste. This may seem like the easy way out or completely inauthentic, but haste. Curry paste not only makes curry prep so much quicker and easier, but if you read the ingredients on the back, it’s all clean whole food ingredients.
Sure, grinding whole spices to make your own spice blend is badass, and using fresh herbs and chilies is bangarang, but if we’re making a weeknight curry after a long day of work? Curry paste to the rescue.
Moving right along!
How to Make Chicken Green Curry:
Open up a can of full-fat coconut milk (I use organic coconut milk that doesn’t include any gums or emulsifiers).
Pour a small amount of the coconut milk (about 3 to 4 tablespoons) into a skillet and heat it to medium. You’re using the coconut milk just like you would oil…pretty cool, huh?
Saute the ginger and veggies in the coconut milk.
While the vegetables are sauteing, heat a small amount of coconut oil or avocado oil in a separate skillet. Use this skillet to brown the chicken. Why do I brown the chicken in a separate skillet? Chicken leaches a lot of liquid while it cooks and makes curry grainy if you add it right in. Cooking it separately and straining off the liquid ensures your curry is silky-smooth and luscious! You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way through in this step…you simply are looking to get the liquid out.
Once you have browned the chicken, strain the liquid from it (I strain the chicken into a colander) and add it to the skillet with the vegetables.
Add the remaining ingredients for the curry, then bring curry to a full but gentle boil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until curry has thickened and chicken is cooked through.
Serve curry with choice of rice, cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, etc!
Is this Curry Spicy?
The way the recipe is written, this curry turns out mild. If you are sensitive to spice, you can add even more coconut milk or decrease the amount of green curry paste you use. Do not include the red pepper flakes if you prefer your curry mild.
On the flip side, you can add red Thai chilies, red pepper flakes, or more green curry paste to make this curry spicier.
Recipe Adaptations:
If you tolerate onions and garlic well, add ½ yellow onion and 3 to 5 cloves garlic.
Replace chicken with beef, pork, salmon, or shrimp.
Use red curry paste or yellow curry spice blend in place of the green curry paste to change up the type of curry.
Add or omit any of the vegetables. Cauliflower, bok choy, or potatoes are great additions or substitutions.
Looking for a spicier curry? Add 1 red Thai chili, serrano or habanero, or add red chili sauce (like sriracha) to taste.
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If you make this Chicken Green Curry, please feel free to share a photo and tag @TheRoastedRoot on Instagram!
So now you have your chicken green curry in a hurry! Make it any night of the week and enjoy!
30-Minute Chicken Green Curry
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Ingredients
For Serving:
spaghetti squash cooked
3 green onions chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
Pour 1/4 cup of the coconut milk into a large skillet and heat over medium. Add the ginger, carrots, bell pepper, and broccoli. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften up, about 3 to 4 minutes.
In a separate skillet, add a small amount of cooking oil (I use coconut oil) and heat to medium. Add the chopped chicken and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until much liquid has seeped out of the chicken, about 5 minutes (note: you do not need to cook the chicken through, just until much of the liquid has cooked out).
Strain the liquid from the chicken and add the chicken to the skillet with the vegetables, along with the remaining coconut milk and curry paste. Stir well, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken has cooked through and vegetables reach desired done-ness.
Serve curry with choice of rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, etc.
Source: https://www.theroastedroot.net/30-minute-chicken-green-curry/
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Grilled Prawns with Romesco Sauce
As lovely as grilled king prawns are, they are not nearly as wonderful without the homemade romesco sauce. And the best part about the romesco sauce, besides the unique garden flavor? It can be made a day or two ahead of time, stored neatly under cover in the refrigerator. So when hunger strikes, or a simple nutritious snack is all that you crave, just fire up the grill and in a few minutes, the shrimp are done – time to get dipping!
Prawns are said to be one of the healthiest foods in the world, and while we aren’t making any solid claims on that statement, we do enjoy indulging and diving into a grilled shrimp platter, or Thai-style shrimp patties, from time to time. As complete proteins, prawns contain all 9 amino acids in perfect proportion, allowing our bodies to function well, after eating only a handful or two. They are also an excellent source of Vitamins B6, B12 and niacin – helping us to build muscle and stay energetic all throughout the day. Nutrient-dense food that enhances and boosts our health is part of the Paleo way.
Once you discover your unbounded adoration for prawns, and are in need of more shrimp-inspiration, we’ve got you covered! A scrumptious dish of Paleo hoisin shrimp and mango tops the list, followed closely by Keto Tuscan-style shrimp with Italian sun-dried tomatoes and fresh baby spinach. All prawn options are a mouthful of yum.
Serves: 4Prep: 20 minCook: 45 min
Values are per portion. These are for information only & are not meant to be exact calculations.
Add to Meal Plan
Ingredients
25 raw king prawns, in shell
3 tbsp. olive oil
Parsley, to garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Romesco Sauce Ingredients
2 vine tomatoes
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 canned pimiento, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. chili powder
5 tbsp. fish stock
2 tbsp. white wine
10 almonds, blanched and toasted
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Sea salt to taste
Preparation
Preheat grill to medium-low.
In a large bowl, toss prawns in olive oil until evenly coated.
Place the prawns on the grill, leaving space between them to prevent overlap. Grill for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until they turn pink.
Place on platter surrounded by lemon wedges and topped with parsley leaves for garnish.
For Romesco sauce: Begin preparing the sauce by blanching the tomatoes. Boil a small saucepan of water and place the tomatoes in the water for about 30 seconds. Remove them and immediately run them under cold water. Peel and discard the skins; chop the tomatoes.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and 3 of the garlic cloves in 2 tbsp. of the olive oil. Cook until translucent and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the pimiento, chili powder, stock and wine to the saucepan. Allow the mixture to simmer, covered for about 30 minutes, stirring just a few times.
In a blender, combine the remaining olive oil, garlic and toasted almonds. Blend until smooth.
Add the tomato mixture from the saucepan to the blender. Blend all the ingredients until a smooth sauce is formed. Add salt to taste.
Serve sauce with prawns.
P.S. Have a look at Paleo Restart, our 30-day program. It has the tools to let you reset your body, lose weight and start feeling great.
+ The Paleo Leap Meal Planner is now also available. Put your meal planning on autopilot!
Source: https://paleoleap.com/grilled-prawns-romesco-sauce/
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Vegan Herb Frittata (Kuku Sabzi)
I have a subscription to Bon Appétit, and I haven’t been able to get this Persian frittata recipe out of my head ever since I saw it in one of their issues this past year (there’s also a video of Andy Baraghani expertly making it here). The frittata is called kuku sabzi and is often served during Persian New Year that is celebrated on spring equinox, welcoming spring with the abundance of herbs in the dish. I’m obsessed with any food that requires a ton of herbs, and this frittata is loaded with parsley, dill, and cilantro. I also like making vegan ‘frittatas’ with chickpea flour, since I’m completely in love with socca, and chickpea frittatas are like socca x 100.
Since this vegan version of kuku sabzi is taken out of context and tradition, I thought we could add our own spin on the meaning here. Instead of a welcome-spring dish, it can be a farewell-summer one. Herbs are still abundant at the farmer’s market where I live, and I see them as such a gift of summer. At the same time, I’m noticing all these subtle signs of fall creeping in. The days seem a tiny bit shorter, there’s often a chill in the air in the evenings, and some trees are already beginning to yellow. This time of year is so abundant, but also very fleeting, which makes it even more beautiful and worth savoring. So let’s load up on local, sun-fed herbs while we can.
Since fresh herbs are so readily available to many of us, we might take them for granted as a commonplace food. In truth, herbs are our everyday superfoods. Just think of the intense flavor that they provide – that intensity also signals their concentrated, nutritional power. I live in a city with windows that never get sun, but one of my biggest intentions is to soon live somewhere where I can have an herb garden (and beyond). Sprinkling fresh herbs on everything is a always a great idea, but this recipe really packs them in at 4 1/2 cups!
Just a reminder that if you have a high-speed blender or grain mill, you don’t have to buy chickpea flour. You can just grind up dried chickpeas, which will also save you a few bucks. All in all, this recipe is pretty easy. The biggest effort you’ll have to make is chopping up all of the herbs and veggies. The rest is basically just mix and bake. I served this frittata with market cucumbers and sun gold tomatoes, topped with the tzatziki sauce from Simply Vibrant. You can also eat it on its own, or topped with coconut yogurt or cashew cream. Hope you enjoy this one :)
Vegan Herb Frittata (Kuku Sabzi)
Serves: 1 9"-10" frittata
Ingredients
2 cups chickpea flour
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
pinch of red pepper flakes
a few grinds of black pepper
3 tablespoons avocado, olive, or neutral coconut oil, plus more for oiling the pans
2½ cups purified water
1 onion - finely chopped
1 large leek - thinly sliced into half-moons
2 garlic cloves - minced
1½ cups chopped cilantro
1½ cups chopped parsley
1½ cups chopped dill
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500° F (260° C). Prepare a 9"-10" pie or tart dish by oiling it well.
In a large bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, sea salt, turmeric, red pepper flakes and black pepper with a fork. Gradually pour in the oil and water, whisking them in as you pour. Mix until smooth and let sit while preparing the vegetables.
Heat a glug of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks along with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until soft and cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl with the batter, along with the cilantro, parsley, and dill. Fold everything in, making sure that the ingredients are dispersed well throughout the thick batter. Transfer the batter to the oiled pie/tart dish, patting it down with a spoon to form an even layer.
Bake for 2o minutes. Open the oven door slightly to let any steam escape and proceed to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is solid to the touch and nicely browned. Let cool, slice, and serve with yogurt or your favorite creamy sauce.
3.5.3226
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Source: http://golubkakitchen.com/vegan-herb-frittata-kuku-sabzi/
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crispy spinach pizza
I went through a phase this summer where I couldn’t stop making crispy spinach pizza, but I had no plans to tell you about for a couple reasons, the first of which is it’s absolutely hideous. It looks like someone melted Oscar the Grouch onto a pizza dough and little I did improved this, not making it round, nor rectangular, in good light nor light so dim that maybe you wouldn’t notice it at all.
Crispy spinach pizza isn’t its official name (that’s, in fact, The Popeye) but in our household dish names are marketing devices and heaps of spinach are, understandably, a hard sell. It’s not much easier with adults. Yes, I know many of us enjoy green vegetables and volunteer to eat them on the regular, but even as one of those people, I felt nothing but panic and dread the first time I saw this unsettlingly large pile of charred-edge greens and no sign of cheese or any other anchors of joy coming across the room to me at the late Co., and knew I’d ordered all wrong.
Except it’s very, very good. Just about anyone who lived through the year 2010 knows what kale chips are, but did you know that other greens also get crispy when they hang out in the oven? If you’re questioning whether you *need* crispy greens in your life, consider how happy your feet will be when walking down a sidewalk through piles of fallen leaves a few weeks from now. That’s the effect of this pizza, except there’s also a small but mighty layer of cheese underneath, a complex salty, stretchy, funky three-fer of mozzarella, pecorino, and gruyere that anchors the spinach to the crust and together they hit the spot.
Previously
One year ago: Chocolate Tahini Challah Buns and Quick Pasta and Chickpeas
Two years ago: Magic Apple Plum Cobbler and Garlic Wine and Butter Steamed Clams
Three years ago: Oat and Wheat Sandwich Bread and The Perfect Manhattan
Four years ago: Cucumber Lemonade and Sunken Apple and Honey Cake
Five years ago: Fudgy Chocolate Sheet Cake and Frico Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Six years ago: Homemade Wheat Thins and Crackly Banana Bread
Seven years ago: Apple and Honey Challah and Apple Pie Cookies
Eight years ago: Monkey Cake and Beef Chili with Cheddar Sour Cream Biscuits
Nine years ago: Lebanese-Style Stuffed Eggplant
Ten years ago: The Baked Brownie, Spiced Up, Braised Romano Beans and Spinach Quiche
Eleven years ago: Cream Cheese Noodle Kugel and Couscous and Feta-Stuffed Peppers
[New!] Twelve years ago: Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake and Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Melting Potatoes and Asparagus and Egg Salad with Walnuts and Mint
1.5 Years Ago: Easiest French Fries and Peanut Butter-Swirled Brownies
2.5 Years Ago: Sesame Soba and Ribboned Omelet Salad and Eggs in Purgatory, Puttanesca-Style
3.5 Years Ago: Black Bottom Oatmeal Pie and Potatoes with Soft Eggs and Bacon Vinaigrette
4.5 Years Ago: Whole-Grain Cinnamon Swirl Bread and Three Bean Chili
Crispy Spinach Pizza
Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Source: Jim Lahey's Popeye Pizza
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Have you heard me mention this 2012 book before? It’s a Top 10 for me, for sure. Even if you think you’re not a pizza person (gasp), I find his treatment of vegetables as toppings, such as this (and also his mushroom pizza, and also this astounding summer squash one) innovative and fantastic.
No matter how much spinach it looks like when you put it on, I promise, it’s not too much. We all know the jokes about spinach, right? You’ll be glad you heaped it all the way to the toppling over point.
This makes two 12-inch round or one 13×18 (half-sheet) thin-crusted pizza
Olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting
1 fully risen pizza dough or about a 2/3 volume of my lazy fitted-to-your-schedule favorite or your favorite, whichever it may be
2 ounces (2/3 cup) grated gruyere or comte cheese
2 ounces pecorino cheese, chopped into mixed-sized rubble or 2/3 cup grated
4 ounces mozzarella, either torn into shreds, diced, or (as shown) in ciliegine
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced or grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 to 9 ounces fresh spinach, larger stems removed
Heat your oven to 500°F (or as hot as it goes) with a rack in the center.
Coat either 1 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan or 2 12-inch round pizza pans lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Use your fingers to stretch dough to the edges of the pan(s). If it puts up a lot of resistance, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, and resume working the dough to the sides.
Top dough(s) with cheeses, a few grinds of black pepper, and garlic. Heap spinach all over; season with salt. Bake pizza until spinach is wilted and slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and drizzle with olive oil. Cut and serve immediately.
Source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/10/crispy-spinach-pizza/
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How To Clean a Stand Mixer — Cleaning Lessons from The Kitchn
If stand mixers had logbooks, the record would be long and full of edible delights — fancy bread, birthday cakes, Christmas morning’s cinnamon rolls. And although it might not get pulled from its countertop corner or cabinet daily, the flour and batter spills that come along with each use will show in time.
A splash of vanilla, a poof of flour, a smudge of egg white here and there — these are the makings for a messy mixer for even the neatest cook. Despite best efforts, some small or hidden areas of a stand mixer still need a deep-clean.
The shaft in particular will clue you in as to whether your mixer is due for extra love. This area gets the dirtiest, but easily looks like new again after scrubbing under and around each portion with a small brush. Pay attention to other areas, too, like the knobs and levers where fine flour or bits of batter may gather.
Finally, storing a stand mixer on the countertop may allow dust and other oils from cooking to collect on the surface and in fine grooves and crevices. One area to watch is the ventilation ports behind the motor head — dust alone can cause problems here.
Follow the first few steps for basic cleaning, or keep going to get every nook and cranny sparkling and to make your beloved stand mixer showroom-ready.
We support our readers with carefully chosen product recommendations to improve life at home. You support us through our independently chosen links, many of which earn us a commission.
Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-stand-mixer-229232
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SPOTTED: Limited Edition Entenmann’s Little Bites Churro Muffins
With churro cereal and these, they make me think this might be the Year of the Churro. (Spotted by Sarah R at Target.)
Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.
Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if the product is old, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.
Source: https://www.theimpulsivebuy.com/wordpress/2019/01/23/spotted-limited-edition-entenmanns-little-bites-churro-muffins/
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How To Eat Healthy On A Budget
We both like to eat. Scratch that… We live to eat. Our mission is to show that healthy eating can blow your taste buds away, and actually be super cheap. We solemnly swear. Here are some of our best suggestions for how to do it.
1. Meal Plan Like a Bawse
Yes, this is basic. Yes, this is boring. But it’s almost impossible to eat clean without making a plan for what you’re going to buy, cook, and eat over the course of a week.
Planning doesn’t have to be super complex; last week I didn’t have time to do it before going to the store, so I parked outside of Trader Joe’s, busted out my pen and paper, and quickly drafted up ingredients for some meals I wanted to make that week. Check out this video for more tips and get ideas for weeknight dinners here.
Want to see the rest of our best suggestions for eating well on a budget? Head on over to Buzzfeed and read the full article on Here’s How Dietitians Actually Eat Healthy Without Going Broke
Source: https://foodheavenmadeeasy.com/how-to-eat-healthy-on-a-budget/
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My Plant-Based Getaway at Sprouts
By : Toni Okamoto | Category : Blog
If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I do most of my weekly shopping at Sprouts because of their unbeatable prices on produce! I’m regularly posting photos of 3 avocados for $1 or a pound of cherries for $2. I LOVE shopping at their store, so you can imagine how excited I was when they asked me to fly to Phoenix for their Plant-Based Getaway // Influencer’s Retreat. They sponsored a whole trip for 10 influencers to learn about the awesome ways they’re advancing their plant-based efforts, and showed us in general the ways that they are doing good in the world.
I don’t talk about it much, but I have a special place in my heart for business. Compassionate and mission-driven businesses, to be exact. I studied at University of San Francisco’s School of Management and fell in love with Jesuit leadership principles, living in service, conscious capitalism, and it was there that I decided it was my life’s calling to focus full-time on bringing accessible and affordable plant-based food to everyone. This Sprouts getaway combined all of those passions into one trip, and I’m really grateful for the opportunity. Here are my highlights and takeaways:
Good Food. Good People.
This ain’t no lie. Everyone I encountered was thoughtful and kind (Hi Diego and Erin!). They planned the most exciting weekend that was filled with learning about their business practices, tasting their vegan food, hearing about their sustainability initiatives, touring their stores, hearing from their buyers, learning how they source their foods. It was really, truly fascinating. As an ethical vegan and as someone who subscribes to a more utilitarian outlook, it makes me happy to know that by supporting Sprouts, I’m supporting the effort they put into creating a more compassionate business model.
Also, I have been referred to as the word “influencer” before, but it was only for the first time during this visit that I actually felt it. Sprouts openly listened to our stories and some staff were literally taking notes on what our audiences want. I shared the gratitude on behalf of my dear readers for double-ad Wednesdays, affordable bulk bin prices, digital coupons, super sale produce, and more. I also shared the fact that I strongly believe that this spike in popularity of plant-based eating is not a trend but instead a cultural shift.
Food Rescue
I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to waste less. Waste less plastic, waste less food, waste less time. It made me happy to know that Sprouts is considerate of their waste, too. At the store that we visited, they showed us the food that is rescued. It’s perfectly edible food that is near sell-by date and is donated to local food banks. This particular location donates 20,000 pounds of food per month! That’s amazing.
Living in Service
We learned all about the Sprouts Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the brand. Their mission is the mission that drives me from my core. It’s to bring healthy food to people and communities that need it most. As part of our learning, we filled bags with healthy food options for children to take home from school. There are many kids who only eat substantial meals when they are fed breakfast and lunch during the school week, but thanks to Sprouts and the lovely people who filled the bags, on this day children and their families were able to have more to eat at home.
My experience on this retreat was one that I wont forget. If you have a Sprouts in your area, I recommend checking them out!
Source: https://plantbasedonabudget.com/my-plant-based-getaway-at-sprouts/
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To make it last | Frothy turmeric tea
Growing up, whenever my mother made her dandelion-hued chickpea curry with puris, there was a ceremony of thorough hand washing after. My parents kept a nail brush in the upstairs bathroom drawer and, while I may be remembering my grandfather’s, I remember it as the style with an open, flattened oval as its handle. I could shape my fist around it for a firmer grip. Its short, stubby white bristles pricked the pads of my fingers sharply but made gratifying progress of scrubbing away the turmeric stains from beneath my nails.
Nowadays, the turmeric in my pantry has a note tucked in its jar. It's from my dad, who has particularly distinctive handwriting that's narrow and tall. He used to write against a ruler to keep his lines neat as he filled out the collection of forms required of a ship's captain at each port. Even still, his penmanship looks as though it's curved against a straight edge.
The note simply says "turmeric from your grandfather's house." In the nearish future, Grandpa's house will no longer be ours, so my stash feels particularly precious. I've been metering it in meticulous portions, trying to make it last as long as possible.
Week before last, Tejal Rao wrote about her grandmother and the position of turmeric in her household. Then last week, somewhat of an offshoot from the conversation she started and in response to the recent treatment of turmeric as innovation, I had a piece in The Globe and Mail about traditions becoming trend, and the uncomfortable realties that can arise in the process.
On Instagram I mentioned the turmeric tea I've been making—its milk and water base is sweet but not candied. It is buzzy with ginger, warmed by cinnamon and a miserly dispensation of pepper, and rounded out with soothing cardamom. Turmeric dyes everything day-glo golden, and adds an earthy astringency. Black tea provides fragrance and structure. As some of you expressed an interest in it, here it is.
Since Sean prefers coffee in the morning and I want wring the most possible flavour out of the whole spices, I make a provocatively strong concentrate in a biggish batch, then reheat servings as needed. I froth some milk for its cap, but whisked or blended milk would work just as well. Or, just pour in plain hot milk, without the addition of bubbles.
I like the tea best with condensed milk, a fondness I'm sure I picked up from my grandmother, who at boarding school would sip on cans of the stuff in secret. It gives weight to the tea that I find especially soothing. I have mine at the hottest temperature I can stand, taking breaths around each sip. Somehow the practice seems vaguely ceremonial in a way that makes me feel as though I'm taking good care.
FROTHY TURMERIC TEA
Adapted from a recipe from Tejal Rao in the New York Times, with my grandmother's influence.
Serves 4
FOR THE CONCENTRATE
1 cup | 240 ml water
1/4 cup | 60 ml sweetened condensed milk
A 2-inch piece of ginger, see note
6 to 8 green cardamom pods, split
2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
4 black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric, or a 1 1/2-inch piece fresh, peeled and grated
2 cups | 480 ml milk of choice
1 to 2 teaspoons ghee or coconut oil, optional
0.5 oz | 15 g black tea or 4 black tea bags
FOR EACH DRINK
1/3 to 1/2 cup | 80 to 120 ml milk of choice, steamed and frothed
Ground pistachios for dusting
METHOD
In a heavy saucepan, stir together the water, condensed milk, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, an turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the milk into the syrup, and spoon in the ghee. Bring to a boil again, and then knock back the heat to a simmer for another 3 minutes. Pop in the tea, and let bubble for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. Strain the concentrate through a fine meshed sieve—I find it neatest to do so into a wide jug or large liquid measuring cup with a pouring spout—and press on the solids in the basket to extract as much liquid as possible. If using the concentrate later, decant it to a jar for storage. Refrigerate until needed.
For each drink, pour one quarter hot concentrate into each cup. Top with the steaming, frothed milk, and the ground pistachios. Serve immediately.
NOTES:
I use almond milk for the concentrate, and then cow's milk for finishing as I'm terribly bad at establishing a foam on the former (though I've not yet those blends aimed at stretching). I realize that makes three milks in one recipe, so use what you like. If you want to omit the condensed milk, use 1/4 cup cane sugar in its place, adding the sugar with the water to start, or honey or maple syrup instead.
If making the concentrate in advance, skip the ghee as it will separate from the brew when chilled. Stir it into the reheated concentrate right before serving.
Grating the ginger will produce a much more assertive cuppa. To tone it down, slice or chop the root instead.
Newer:The aim to perfect | S'mores BrowniesOlder:Sweetness | Chocolate sugar cookies
Source: http://sevenspoons.net/blog/2017/2/5/make-it-last
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Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Easy Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip will go CRAZY at your next party! This recipe is super easy to make and everyone was begging for the recipe!
EASY Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Quick, easy, and unbelievably delicious! I am not usually a buffalo wing fan so I was a little skeptical when my husband suggested we make this dip for a party. Buffalo wings are one of the few things we disagree on in our marriage. But boy was I wrong on this one! Not only was I impressed, but the friends we shared it with ate it up. Gone in minutes! We actually brought over a few dips and this Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip was by far their favorite! So pick up a bottle of your favorite wing sauce and get ready to wow the crowd at your next game day party! So excited to have football season back, I’m all about that game day food!
The Perfect Game Day Party Dip
The second best part of this dip, next to how good it tastes, is how easy it is. I picked up a rotisserie chicken from Costco and shredded it up real quick, and honestly, that was the hardest part. Other than that, it’s just a little stirring and a quick bake in the oven before enjoying the tongue tickling, spicy goodness. Because you get to pick whatever wing sauce you like best, you can control the heat/spicy level! It’s also a great dip to make ahead and then just wait to pop it in the oven to bake until your guests are on their way!
Quick Tips for Making Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip
To make mixing easier, I recommend popping the cream cheese in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to warm it up a little bit. As far as wing sauce goes, my husband likes Frank’s Red Hot brand wing sauce. It’s pretty easy to find and it gets the job done well! Some people love blue cheese and some…not so much. Luckily this recipe is great with either one! If you’re a blue cheese fanatic then I recommend topping the dip with a few blue cheese crumbles before it goes in the oven, or even stir some in before. And what side of wings is complete without carrots and celery? If you’re looking for some healthy dipping options then slice up some carrots, celery or even bell peppers. I think I love the veggie dip option because I get enough chips on game day, I need to sneak in some veggies!
Game Day Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
2 cup colby-jack cheese divided
your favorite crackers, tortilla chips, or a sliced baguette
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, chicken, buffalo wing sauce, ranch/blue cheese dressing, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until well mixed.
Transfer to a 1-quart oven safe dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve with crackers/chips/baguette and enjoy!
Other Recipes You'll Love!
Source: http://www.yourcupofcake.com/2018/08/cheesy-buffalo-chicken-dip.html
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Is Bloating Normal?
What is bloating and is it normal?
There’s been a rise in media outlets sharing magazine articles about “beating the bloat” or sharing content to make you think you should never feel bloated — so is that true?
As a Registered Dietitian, I hear this question all the time, and bloating (abdominal distension) is part of the normal digestion process. There are of course factors that may cause an increase in bloating, cases where bloating might not be normal, but in general, let’s break down what bloating is and why it occurs.
This information is important to learn for yourself, but also the next time you’re hanging with your girlfriends and someone complains they’re “so bloated”, you can teach them the normal reason behind bloating, how digestion works, and tips for reducing bloating if it’s temporarily uncomfortable.
What Is Bloating?
Depending on the individual, bloating will most likely look or feel different for each person. In general, bloating can feel like your stomach or core area is full, tight, gassy, physically swollen, stomach distended (i.e. “food baby” is often a comment that’s said), and in general uncomfortable around the core area.
For some people looking bloated is of more concern than feeling bloated. Many female clients come to me complaining about being “bloated” when in fact it’s not bloating caused by normal or abnormal digestion at all, but rather just a change in body composition they may not be used to. It could be water retention during that time of the month with menstruation, an increase in belly fat/weight gain, or eating too many salty foods.
What Causes Bloating?
You’re not alone! Did you know according to the NHS, people pass gas 15-20 times a day? There are several causes of bloating. In the general sense or in “normal” conditions, bloating is often a temporary feeling of fullness, usually due to intestinal gas.
After you eat, no matter what foods although you can see from the list below there are foods that cause more bloat than others, your stomach starts to break down the food. That food becomes small tiny digestible pieces, small enough so the food can go through the small intestine and onward.
Carbohydrates break down and fiber ferments which produce gas, which gas expands, causing bloating. Abdominal distension just means your stomach physically looks larger, again this is normal and is temporary after you eat or as food is digested.
Typically with bloating, it’s normal to feel temporarily bloated, full, or even gassy — these pass hours later or within the day, are not painful in any way, and are relieved by having a bowel movement, passing gas, drinking warm beverages to relax the digestive system, letting time pass, or even light stretching or exercising.
But the good news is, guess what, your body is properly digesting food and absorbing nutrients to fuel you!
Things you may not know cause bloating:
Drinking carbonated beverages, like sparkling water
Eating too fast
Not chewing your food thoroughly
Not eating enough fiber
Not drinking enough water
Not having a bowel movement at least once a day
Feeling very stressed
Smoking
Eating large or oversized portions
Taking certain medications
Adding probiotics to your routine
Eating too late before bedtime
Is bloating normal?
Bloating can also be caused by health conditions such as IBS, food intolerances or sensitivities, celiac disease, lactose intolerance, acid reflux, PCOS, certain types of cancer, hernia, IBD, h pylori, intestinal obstruction, and more.
Click these articles to learn more about IBS and the Low FODMAP diet. In general, a FODMAP is a collection of naturally-occurring short-chain carbohydrates or sugars (only one or two sugars linked together), which the gut has trouble digesting in some people. FODMAP itself stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols — all things people following the diet would aim to avoid.
A cheat sheet of questions to ask yourself if you need to go see your doctor or make an appointment with a dietitian:
uncontrolled vomiting
uncontrolled diarrhea
constipation, no bowel movements for days at a time
blood in your stool or in vomit
dizziness, light headiness
nausea with every meal
painful bowel movements
bloating with every meal you eat
Otherwise, if bloating comes and goes, is relieved by taking one or more listed actions above (or others that work for you!) then you’re most likely experiencing a normal process to digestion. You might even be asking why you get bloated after eating “healthy” foods? Well, that’s normal too! Some whole foods are more likely to cause you gas or bloating due to their starch content, sugars, or fiber.
Take a look at these common, healthy whole food choices that very commonly cause gas and bloating.
Whole foods that cause bloating:
If you need a little temporary relief to ease bloating, here are some ideas: first grab a cup of warm-hot peppermint tea (not if you have acid reflux, opt for ginger then) which can help soothe digestion and release gas, take a short 5 or 10 minute walk, do some light core stretching, try to use the bathroom if you need to go, drink plenty of water, take 5 minutes of deep breathing to decrease stress, and make sure at your next meal you chew the food properly!
Bottom Line
Remember that while our bodies are amazing, adaptive, and can work like clockwork, it’s still not a machine that operates with nothing weird happening.
Bloating after eating or bloating occasionally is part of normal digestion. Most of the time when I’m working with clients and educate them about normal bloating, they have an “ah-ha” moment where somewhere along the way, a story was told in their minds they should never be bloated, should always be feeling “light”, have a flat stomach, and no water retention. Our bodies will change from day to day and sometimes they do they’re own thing, bloating included, and that’s okay!
Check in with yourself and ask yourself if what you’re experiencing feels or seems out of the normal or reach out to your dietitian or physician if bloating is an everyday day challenge you face, if you find no relief, if it’s painful, or intruding your daily life.
Above all, you can experiment with your personal digestion and the activities and foods in this article to see which personally affect you. If you find what may be triggering bloating, you can limit those foods or work with a dietitian to get you on a plan and educate you.
Contribute!
Do you experience bloating occasionally? Have you discovered what foods or activities may trigger bloating for you? Share your story or chime in on Instagram #nutritionstripped
Source: https://nutritionstripped.com/is-bloating-normal/
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Why I Decided to Elope (Hint: For My Mental Health)
I didn’t grow up dreaming of my wedding day. The white lace dress I would wear. The flavors I’d choose for my layer cake. The man standing at the foot of the aisle, under a chuppah dripping with bougainvillea.
I also never put a time stamp on when I wanted to hit these milestones of adulthood. In fact, I may have said on more than one occasion, if I have any goal before the age of 35, it’s not to be married before then.
As of a few weeks ago, that last part went out the window. In case you’ve been on a digital detox and missed the news: Charlie and I decided to elope over July 4th weekend on Martha’s Vineyard!
Since then, I’ve gotten countless questions from you asking why I decided to elope instead of having a traditional wedding.
My quick response is: because I don’t like weeping in front of large groups of people.
Which is very true. But the real answer is a lot longer and more nuanced.
The Price of a Wedding
Charlie and I have been together for almost 5 years, and I think I can safely say that for at least 4 of those, I’d been slowly wearing down his resolve on the subject of marriage.
While my more traditional-leaning partner might have put a ring on it long ago, I made it very clear that I was not the kind of girl who wanted her hand encumbered by a non-edible ring pop.
Over the years though, as I tried to articulate why I didn’t want to get married, it became clear that the idea of a forever union wasn’t the problem. What I really didn’t want was a wedding.
I should have realized as much from my childhood wedding dreams, or rather, the lack thereof. But it was cemented further in my twenties as I saw countless of my friends take the plunge.
Since graduating college, I’ve been to over 30 weddings. Some were modest and homegrown, others cost half a million dollars (if not more). They’ve been in backyards, and on the beaches of Africa. I’ve seen ceremonies where parents have cried all the way down the aisle, and one where the MOB cried expletives at an estranged relative in the front row.
In short, I’ve seen it done every which way. And despite giving you the impression that I’m the wedding Grinch, I usually have a ball! I shed tears of joy seeing the groom’s face as he sees his bride for the first time. I shed pounds of sweat on the dance floor. I try to save my (upbeat!) expletives for the after party. But throughout all of these rituals and festivities, vows and cakes, speeches and horas, I’ve never once thought to myself: this feels like me.
For as many happy tears and beautiful vows I’ve witnessed on the day of, I’ve also witnessed my fair share of the lead-up. The family dramas. The excel spreadsheets. The awkward third tier 11th hour invites. All the planning that clouded the year-long lead up to the big day. The stresses that made my friends question whether or not it was worth it. All the things that, for me, solidified it wouldn’t be.
A Marriage Mentality
I’m the only child of two directors who I knew would not be helpful in executing a vision that wasn’t theirs.
I am an anxious person who is particularly sensitive to the expectations of others.
I didn’t want to spend months worrying about other people and losing myself in the process.
I didn’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a party, just to get people in one room and barely spend any time with them.
And yet, I never doubted wanting to spend the rest of my life with Charlie.
We own a home together. We have an apartment pre-nup and a shared bank account. I’ve felt married to him for a long time in every way but legally. What’s the point, I thought.
The point, as so many married people tell me is that it just feels different. Something changes when you say those vows out loud to one another and make a promise to last a lifetime. It’s not something you understand until you experience it.
Which is true, I suppose, because I wasn’t buying it.
I did, however, see some benefits to being legally married. The idea that if something were to ever happen to Charlie, as a “life partner,” I wouldn’t be allowed in the hospital room. Or the shared benefits, courtesy of the state recognizing our union.
When the Affordable Care Act was on the chopping block and Charlie was still at his corporate job, I suggested that we go to City Hall and make things official. This seemed too unromantic to him. And in retrospect, I agree.
Because if there’s any one aspect of a wedding that I wanted, it was saying those words to one another. Not the perfunctory Justice of the Peace script, but the heart-led self-written words that answer the question: why me?
You know, the things that might cause a girl to weep in front of a large group of people.
Going with your Gut
This post is only a small glimpse of the mental space I’ve leased to the concept of marriage over the years and the way I could enter into one that felt like me. So when the moment presented itself to do something different, at the spur of the moment, I had to trust my gut and just go for it.
When you’re an anxious person and tend to overthink things, sometimes the only way forward is to close your eyes and jump. The two most spontaneous things I’ve ever done have been the most permanent: my tattoo, and now my marriage.
I’ll get into the full story of how we eloped in the next post. But suffice it to say that getting married in 5 days–on our own terms, in private–solved every perceived problem that stood in my way.
I didn’t want to spend months planning. I didn’t want to stress about the perfect natural eye makeup and floral tablescapes—things that had nothing to do with my values. The spontaneity ensured that we only had time to focus on what really mattered: each other.
Instead of the toasts and the calligraphy, I’ll always remember all the small ways that our day came together—the things that we could have never imagined or planned for.
For those of you who are experiencing a similar barrage of internal questioning around having a wedding, I can say with confidence now that going our own way was the best decision we ever made. I’ll get into why later on—including the reactions from our families.
For now, just remember: Bloodshot eyes. Full hearts. Can’t lose.
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Source: https://feedmephoebe.com/why-i-decided-to-elope/
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Romania road trip with my kid
July 21, 2018
Romania is like a different world. World of beautiful lands, kind and helpful people, delicious food. It’s also a land of surprises. We were supposed to be there way longer, but life made it short. We’ll be back for more, as once you come to Romania, you cannot forget it.
And yes, we did think about vampires a lot.
The things yo should know about Romania:
- it’s safe to travel by van- as Romania is not number 1 destination (not yet at least) this will be most probably, one of the first things you will try to figure out. We parked in the wild, in towns and villages and the only thing that you can expect from the locals is that they will invite you for a breakfast.
- it is extremely beautiful, so try to discover as much as possible.
- road condition is not the best, there are many constructions on a way and it will slow you down, but highways are awesome.
- some roads like transalpine are closed for half of the year, so check it out before going there. We did not and we had to go back.
- you can see a lot of food stands on the road, buy your food there as it’s delicious.
- horse carriage on a road is a regular view, which does not mean that I was super excited each time I saw it.
- there are many castles and each of them is advertised as Dracula’s. It may be not, but it is still worth visiting. These places have a hell of history and by visiting you support it.
- you should have a cash on you, as there’s not so many places on the road where you can pay by caRD. Obviously big cities are easy, but countryside not that much.
- Romania has a crazy good internet and internet deals. You can get a SIM card with 60GB for a very good price. I love Romania for this, it made my life so much easier.
- How to find a place for the night - We found many perfect spots for the night just by driving. We usually start to look around at 5-6pm. I can get that at the beginning, it may be difficult for you, or you think it will be. There are many apps and www that can help you and since the internet is not a problem in Romania, use them as much as possible. Examples: Park4night, iOverlander, furgovw.org.
- Romania is super child friendly. My 3 year old loves it and Romanians loved her. She got a lot of food for free and a lot was forgiven (I’m talking about her creative mess).
- food is important in Romania, so when you order something, order as much as you can eat, don’t leave leftovers.
- talk with people. A lot of people speak English, but it will be helpful and well seen (as everywhere in the world) to speak some local expressions.
Try placinta and mici!
OUR ROUTE:
Apuseni Natural Park - we got here at night, straight from a border. I found a spot for the night online and we set it up as our first destination. We got there at night and I must say that it was pretty scary. We were driving with a stone road, trying to drive around big stones and holes, it was narrow, I could not see where I am, Internet was not working and I could not turn back. We got to the spot which was supposed to be the spot and there was nothing. There was a fog and I kept thinking about vampire movies. We were so tired that I stopped on a side of the road and I went to sleep. When we open the for two dogs started to bark like crazy. I read about homeless dogs in Romania so we closed ourself in the van and decided to drive away first thing in the morning. When I woke up at 5:30 am, ready to drive away, I saw horses sleeping next to my car. One of them was licking our side mirror as it was covered in saliva. The sun was rising and the place I’ve been in was so beautiful, that I stood next to a horse and I stared. There was a hut where a lady was selling local treats, meantime sheep and cows were making their way through the park and just next to our car. Tomasz set up his office in a shadow of our van and I was playing with Mia in a muddy pad. It was so beautiful, that I wanted to stay there forever.
Muzeul Castelul Corvinilor - it is quite a place. I am a big fan of castles in general, so I’ll always advise to visit as many as possible. In this one you can learn a lot of history and it is simply cool to walk around and imagine how it used to be. We stopped for a night at a parking just next to the castle, so I could easily reach it for the sunrise with no-one around.
Sibiu is simply beautiful. The architecture, food, people, vibe, all in one make a beautiful city. I think my favourite :) It was fairly easy to find a parking and definitely too difficult to find a place to eat. Why? Because each one looked good :D
Viscri someone wrote me that Prince Charles has a couple of houses in this tiny village and I must tell you, that I wanted to buy a property over there as well. It is not only beautiful, but friendly and relaxing. In the morning you can see women sitting on benches in front of their houses and making socks. The blacksmith will invite you over to see how he lives. To walk around this village is such a pleasure itself.
Sighisoara - it is as beautiful as Sibiu, just bigger (or at least this was my impression). We had a delicious lunch over there and wandered around. Because this is what you do in cities :D
Transalpina - one of the highlights of our trip to Romania. It was an incredible drive. Just look at the pictures. It reminds me of Italian mountains and Norwegian as well. We were stopping quite a lot just to look, most of the times I even forgot to take a picture. There’s so many beautiful places to park your car, like just next to a river or in a big forest. Transalpina has some limitations on driving, so please google it before you go.
We did not see many places in Romania, as our car had a serious issue and we had to go back. I honestly regret it and this made me like Hymer way less (later on we’ll have more reasons). As we like to see the glass half full, we can go back to Romania in Autumn, which is apparently the best time to visit.
Source: http://whatshouldieatforbreakfasttoday.com/post/176122402915/romania-road-trip-with-my-kid
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