His delivery may be obnoxious at times, but nearly all of Jim Gaffigan's material in "Beyond the Pale" is about food, and it is hil-arious. This is just one of the many clips that makes me laugh out loud each time. Here he touches on the marketing of frozen foods, specifically Hot Pockets, and how terrible he feels after eating one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9c9lAfXQHs
Monday, August 31, 2009
Chelsea Market
It's a place I've always been curious about, mainly for the reason that I might spot a Food Network star while strolling around. The Chelsea Market houses many food shops and places to dine, but more importantly, is home to the Food Network offices and studios! Definitely didn't get to meet Alton Brown...today, at least. But it was worth checking out, if not solely to admire the building's architecture, which I think I enjoyed more than the actual food shops. (I wasn't exactly hungry at the time--which is a shame, especially since about one hour later, I was starving and ate a banana and Baybel cheese from a bodega. Would rather have enjoyed snacking on something in the Market.)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Fatty Crab
One of my all-time favorite places to dine in New York City. And maybe, just maybe, after reading this, you will be motivated to get away from the computer and check it out for yourself.
Fatty Crab is a small restaurant located in the West Village of Manhattan. For me, it's a little difficult and slightly confusing to get to, which may be part of the reason I love going there. The staff is helpful, the atmosphere laid-back. The music does not fit the decor, but somehow it works. Your waiter/waitress will ask if you've dined there before, and no matter what you're answer, he/she will tell you that the food is meant to be shared, and everything comes out at different times. This is their polite way of saying, "We basically do what we want here, and you'll pretty much have to deal with it."
Whatever you order, you will surely be pleased. Drawn heavily from Malaysian inspiration, each dish is bursting with bold and exotic flavors that balance well on the tongue. The green mango snack appears simple, but has a serious addictive flavor. The watermelon pickle and crispy pork is a sensational salad that is sweet, salty, and texturally complex. The lo si fun is an entree that I get almost every time, and it is consistently one of the best things on the menu. The broth is a rich, sweet thing that I could--and do--drink on its own. The coconut poached bass is delightfully creamy yet not overpowering. The only dish I have not absolutley loved is the nasi lemak; it's menu description made it seem delicious, but tasted somewhat how I'd imagine dog food to taste. Despite this one complaint, I am still in love with this place.
I've enjoyed much more from Fatty Crab, and the praise could go on, but I should stop because I've already had dinner and I am starting to salivate.
The last time my boyfriend and I ate there, as we were paying the bill, the waiter came by and said, "I'll be right back with some shots." I thought I had misheard him, and even looked to the couple next to me who assured me that he said, "I'll be right back with some shots." We waited, curiously, and indeed he came back. With shots. As he placed them in front of us, he said, "Shots for familiar faces!" We felt like mini-celebrities, and his small gesture made the evening that more special. I will continue to go there, again and again and again...
http://www.fattycrab.com/
Fatty Crab is a small restaurant located in the West Village of Manhattan. For me, it's a little difficult and slightly confusing to get to, which may be part of the reason I love going there. The staff is helpful, the atmosphere laid-back. The music does not fit the decor, but somehow it works. Your waiter/waitress will ask if you've dined there before, and no matter what you're answer, he/she will tell you that the food is meant to be shared, and everything comes out at different times. This is their polite way of saying, "We basically do what we want here, and you'll pretty much have to deal with it."
Whatever you order, you will surely be pleased. Drawn heavily from Malaysian inspiration, each dish is bursting with bold and exotic flavors that balance well on the tongue. The green mango snack appears simple, but has a serious addictive flavor. The watermelon pickle and crispy pork is a sensational salad that is sweet, salty, and texturally complex. The lo si fun is an entree that I get almost every time, and it is consistently one of the best things on the menu. The broth is a rich, sweet thing that I could--and do--drink on its own. The coconut poached bass is delightfully creamy yet not overpowering. The only dish I have not absolutley loved is the nasi lemak; it's menu description made it seem delicious, but tasted somewhat how I'd imagine dog food to taste. Despite this one complaint, I am still in love with this place.
I've enjoyed much more from Fatty Crab, and the praise could go on, but I should stop because I've already had dinner and I am starting to salivate.
The last time my boyfriend and I ate there, as we were paying the bill, the waiter came by and said, "I'll be right back with some shots." I thought I had misheard him, and even looked to the couple next to me who assured me that he said, "I'll be right back with some shots." We waited, curiously, and indeed he came back. With shots. As he placed them in front of us, he said, "Shots for familiar faces!" We felt like mini-celebrities, and his small gesture made the evening that more special. I will continue to go there, again and again and again...
http://www.fattycrab.com/
Me Versus the Shish
It's just something I never think to prepare at home, and something I never order when I am out to eat. When my boyfriend suggested we make shish kabobs for dinner, I figured, well, I don't have any better ideas...
We picked up lamb tips from Trader Joe's that were already marinated in a simple seasoning blend. Skewered them with onions, zucchini, and a variety of bell peppers and cooked them in a saute pan. I have a cast-iron grill top that I have yet to season out of sheer laziness; I think it would have definitely come out better using the grill, perhaps simply because it would seem more like an outdoorsy, barbeque-type meal. However, despite the proper cook top, and the apartment filled with smoke, the kabobs were delicious.
I made a couscous dish that cooks up ridiculously fast. Couscous is made from semolina flour, the same flour that creates pasta, so, essentially, couscous is tiny tiny bits of pasta. Use a one-to-one ratio of water to dry couscous: place the water in a pot with cinnamin, cumin, butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once it boils, add the couscous, turn off the heat, and allow the grains to soak up the liquid--it only takes about five minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in golden raisins and almonds. This dish can be made in any number of ways, so feel free to individualize with seasonings and additions that suite your taste.
We picked up lamb tips from Trader Joe's that were already marinated in a simple seasoning blend. Skewered them with onions, zucchini, and a variety of bell peppers and cooked them in a saute pan. I have a cast-iron grill top that I have yet to season out of sheer laziness; I think it would have definitely come out better using the grill, perhaps simply because it would seem more like an outdoorsy, barbeque-type meal. However, despite the proper cook top, and the apartment filled with smoke, the kabobs were delicious.
I made a couscous dish that cooks up ridiculously fast. Couscous is made from semolina flour, the same flour that creates pasta, so, essentially, couscous is tiny tiny bits of pasta. Use a one-to-one ratio of water to dry couscous: place the water in a pot with cinnamin, cumin, butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once it boils, add the couscous, turn off the heat, and allow the grains to soak up the liquid--it only takes about five minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and stir in golden raisins and almonds. This dish can be made in any number of ways, so feel free to individualize with seasonings and additions that suite your taste.
And it's pretty much as simple as that!
What's On The Inside...
When counseling in the hospital, I ask patients a series of questions that may be uncomfortable for them to answer: how is your appetite, what is your current weight and have you experienced any weight changes in the past year. At times I hear responses such as, "I have a great appetite--you can tell just by looking at me!" or "I have lost some weight, but you wouldn't be able to tell." To this I respond that I only know a small piece of someone when I look at them. I ask these questions to investigate any other issues I need to know about, issues I cannot discover simply by physical assessment.
Our outsides only show us a part of what is happening with our health; what truly matters is what is going on inside. Brain function is one of those things. This small article describes how diet and exercise, especially when combined, can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/health/18prev.html?ref=research
The Mediterranean diet is high in healthy fats (unsaturated fats found mainly in plant-based products such as nuts and oils, but also found in fish), fruits, and vegetables, and low in saturated fats (mostly found in animal products such as red meat). Moderate consumption of red wine is another component of the diet; moderation regarding alcohol is defined as one drink per day for women, two per day for men. The Mediterranean diet may also help lower your risk for developing cancer and heart disease.
This article further demonstrates the importance of a healthy, well-balanced diet--as well as physical activity--to promote quality of life.
Our outsides only show us a part of what is happening with our health; what truly matters is what is going on inside. Brain function is one of those things. This small article describes how diet and exercise, especially when combined, can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/health/18prev.html?ref=research
The Mediterranean diet is high in healthy fats (unsaturated fats found mainly in plant-based products such as nuts and oils, but also found in fish), fruits, and vegetables, and low in saturated fats (mostly found in animal products such as red meat). Moderate consumption of red wine is another component of the diet; moderation regarding alcohol is defined as one drink per day for women, two per day for men. The Mediterranean diet may also help lower your risk for developing cancer and heart disease.
This article further demonstrates the importance of a healthy, well-balanced diet--as well as physical activity--to promote quality of life.
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