Hmart-An Asian Themed Food Market Dream

I was recently talking with a classmate of mine, who took this blogging class with me over the summer. We were talking about our blogging experience over a Thanksgiving catered dinner by our school. As we got into conversation, we started talking about different foods we ate and places we shopped. I had mentioned how much I loved Hmart in Hartsdale, NY because of their wide variety of Asian foods, condiments, and products. I really think I convinced her to give it a try so I thought I'd share why I love Hmart so much in a blog post!

Reasons to shop Hmart:

• Produce: The produce is always fresh, affordable and inviting. They carry many items that you can't find in regular food stores like Bok Choy, Chinese Eggplant, and large bags of Bean Sprouts.
• The hot bar: Yum... If you're in a pinch and need a quick meal, the hot bar is the place to hit. They feature many common foods like fried rice, dumplings, and teriyaki chicken. You serve yourself, weight it and pay up front. I often grab a few dumplings as a snack and then browse some of the packaged food that they've setup to go already. (the salads with orange ginger dressing rock!) 
• Seafood selection: Have you ever been to a fish market? Well I haven't but I imagine this is what one looks like. The seafood selection at Hmart is outrageous. There are so many varieties of fish to choose from. They even have big tubs of shrimp to self scoop.
• Condiment aisles: There has to be at least 2000 different Asian products available for purchase. I love to cook Asian inspired food so this is the exact thing I need. There are all different sauces to choose from like Oyster Sauce, Korean BBQ flavors, and spicy chili pastes.
• The bakery: There's a bakery in there? not just a regular bakery county, but some awesomely fresh french pastries. 
• The cafe: Inside the store is a mini eatery. You can leave your shopping cart to the side, order up some tasty bowls of soup or sushi and indulge without even leaving the store! 

My list could go on but it's something you've really just got to experience on your own! When you're in the area, stop over to Hmart in Hartsdale for some awesome food finds! 

Dole chopped salad kits-practically a meal in a bag

I've been buying these salad kits for months now, so I thought it fitting to share with you my favorite, easy, go to lunch that is tasty and best of all, inexpensive!

Dole chopped salad kits come in a variety of flavors. The ones I've tried consist of: 

Bacon blu

BBQ ranch

Sunflower crunch

Asian mix

Chipotle cheddar

What I love about these bags is that they are almost a full meal. You basically only need to add some extra protein. 

In the bag comes a plentiful serving of chopped cabbage, lettuce, kale and scallions. Then there is usually a baggy of ingredients matching the flavor, like crumbled bacon, sunflower seeds, cheese, or taco strips and fried onion. Along with those goodies you get a generous packet of delicious dressing that compliments the meal; there is always more then needed! 

With the entire bag usually coming in under 600 calories, you really can't beat it. You'll have less calories if you use less dressing and toppings too! 

I can usually find these bags on sale from $2-$2.50, which is a great price for lunch. If you throw in some cold-cuts, beans, or grilled chicken, your whole lunch can be easily under $5. It's satisfying and filling and it tastes great, so I encourage you to pick up a bag the next time they're on sale! 

Real noodles without the calories

A few posts back I wrote about using a spiralizer to make mock noodles using zucchini or carrots. Today i'd like to share with you a product I discovered about a year ago, that is the closest thing to noodles that I've ever had. They are about 40 calories a bag and completely gluten free.

House Foods makes a product called Shirataki noodles. They are noodles made out of tofu, and they are AMAZING! They come in several different forms like angel hair, fettuccini, spaghetti and small bites for soup. They are sold in individual serving size bags surrounded by liquids for preserving and maintaining shape. Generally, you can find these in the produce section where cold packaged items are. You can also find them in specialty stores like H-Mart where a lot of unique finds are featured.

Check out this pic for details straight from their site:

These noodles require very little preparation. If I'm using them as a straight up noodle, I boil them for a few minutes to warm and tenderize. If I'm cooking with them, as I do with a Pad Thai  dish, I just drain them and toss them right in. You can also microwave them if needed. 

The bags run anywhere from $.99 to $2.99 depending on the store you buy them at. I suggest you wait for them to go on sale and then purchase a bunch. 

These noodles are a great nutritious, low calorie substitute for traditional pasta, which will leave you feeling full and satisfied each meal! 

How to food shop like you mean it!

In order to make all of the tasty meals I've featured in past posts, you probably should purchase the food and ingredients first. Food shopping can be a simple task if you're running in for milk and eggs. If you aspire to be a serious food shopper, there are many things you need to take into consideration before you plan a big excursion. In this post I want to share with you my personal experiences and some great tips to ensure you have a successful shopping trip each time you visit!

I have to be honest, I am in the food store at least three times a week, it's like my home away from home. I usually do a large shopping session on Sunday and then I stop in several times during the week because I either forgot something or I want to pick up more of something that is on sale. In order to cut down on the amount of times I revisit, I try my very best to carefully plan out my large shopping trip on the weekend so I have just about everything I need for the week. 

To achieve the best results, one should prepare and organize before leaving the house. The first thing you should do is pick the store you are going to shop at. In my area, we have three different food stores to choose from: Shoprite, Stop & Shop, and Aldi. Each of these stores have different sale dates so the most important thing is to know what day of the week sales start and end. From there, you then look at each flyer (I get mine in the newspaper, but you can always look online) to see what items are on sale and decide which day is best to shop for what you want.

Years ago, I always made sure that I had pen and paper on hand to start a shopping list. Nowadays I make use of digital shopping list apps for ease of use and convenience. Usually I look at what is on sale and then derive my weekly meal plan based on what I find. That way, I usually only buy what is on sale and use what I have at home to complement it. If something I need for a meal is not on sale, I add those items to my list as extras, but I'm extra mindful when shopping for them. Prices are often higher than if purchased on sale so I make sure to check all prices and make sure its really an item I need so I can stay in my budget. As a tip, make sure you put every item you plan on buying onto your shopping list; if you don't, you'll surely forget something. 

The next thing I do after looking at the flyers is check for coupons; I clip from the newspaper and print from online. I have several coupon sites that I visit. My top three are:

1. Coupons.com

2. redplum

3. SmartSource 

These three sites give the best coupons for items that are usually popular in your location. If you're new to couponing, I suggest you check out one of my favorite blogs, Living Rich With Coupons. At this site, which I also check weekly, the blogger gives amazing tips for shopping with coupons as well an extremely useful coupon match-up, where she links what coupons go with what sales and where they can be found. She also offers a coupon database with every coupon out there. This is extremely helpful when you want to buy items that are not on sale because you can usually find a coupon through her site. Any way to save money is a great thing to look into, especially when you're on a budget! 

Check out this video for some couponing advice from Cindy at Living Rich With Coupons:

Once I have my coupons and shopping list prepared, it's time to hit the store! When I am doing a big shopping, I am in the zone. I try to focus on what I am looking for and I usually go down each aisle so I don't miss anything or have to go back and fourth. I usually keep my shopping list visible at all times, and I cross off, or mark on my phone, each item I've added to my cart. This really helps to keep me on track. If I stop singing along to the music and focus, I can make it out of there in under an hour with at least $75 dollars of groceries. That to me would be considered a good shopping trip. 

When you're shopping, here are some tips to remember:

• Smell your food. Produce should smell fresh; meat should smell clean and odorless. You can even smell different body products so you don't waste and only buy what you like.
• Shop for your frozen and cold items last so they stay cool for your ride home. 
• Group items on your shopping list based by category so you can knock out a set of items in each aisle.
• Try to not impulse buy, you'll end up with more items then you planned on. Stick to your list!
• Double-check your prices while shopping and while on line, sometimes the sale signs are outdated or misplaced.
• Know what you want to spend on an item, if something is too expensive you can find alternatives or find it at another store on sale.
• Keep like items together in your cart for ease of bagging and unpacking at home.
• Get your coupons ready before you get to the register and match them up with the items you have in your cart so you don't miss a savings.
• Don't get overwhelmed when paying; check your prices as the items are being rung up. 
• Accept help or ask someone to bag for you so you can focus on your coupons and prices. 
• Do not be afraid to ask for a price check, usually the customer is right!

The greatest gift of all is feeding your family and knowing you shopped for them. I get on such a high after a great food shopping trip because I know I worked hard to get the hand picked products that look the best and all for a great deal. Preparing and cooking food for my family is an absolute joy, I hope you too can enjoy the experience from start to finish. Your family will love you for it, I promise!

My narrative of the greatest culinary experience of all, attending NYCWFF

I have married the sweetest, kindest, generous man I've ever met. My husband John is one of a kind. He really listens and understands me. Ever since we started dating, I have always expressed my feelings of how horrible my birthdays have been. I can honestly say it is probably one of my least favorite days of the year. When I was 17 my brother was put into an induced coma, on my birthday, not knowing if he would make it or not. When I was 19 a bouncer accidentally punched me in the face at a club. At age 21 my family threw me a surprise birthday party, which was no surprise to me, and then my father accidentally dropped my large, beautiful, pink cake right onto the kitchen floor. My list goes on and on. All the while, each time, I've had to suck it up and pretend like everything was ok. At age 25 I decided I wasn't going to make a big deal out of my birthday, I'd just treat it like another day. Well that wasn't ok with my husband. He tried so very hard to make my birthdays special, but I refused to accept the happiness on my day. It wasn't until I was 27 that I realized I was being stupid, and I should be grateful for what I have. At age 29, I got the greatest birthday gift I've ever received, two tickets for my husband and I to attend the New York City Wine and Food Festival. 

I was speechless. This is a huge multi-day event in New York City where many famous chefs and TV personalities appear. Several events go on throughout the festival that are focused on one chef or personality and you get to taste their food and watch them perform. The event my husband got me was the cream of the crop, The Grand Tasting with GEM access. This means we would have access to the entire tasting room filled with hundreds of top chefs, as well as entry to the GEM wine and liquor tent featuring premier and rare liquors from all around the world and last but not least, up close and personal live demos made by my idols, Food Network and Cooking Channel chefs. I couldn't believe a gift like this was being given to me. I am such a lucky girl!

The day came and I could barely contain myself. I was worried about my hair, my outfit, who would I meet, what will we try? We made our way into the city and my nerves grew stronger the closer we got to the venue. I wanted to make sure we took in absolutely everything. I even made a carefully timed out schedule so I didn't miss one chef's presentation that I wanted to see. 

As soon as we got there we were given a first class gift bag filled with many food lovers goodies and a wine glass that you could hang on your neck. I knew we were in for a hell of a time. 

Some of the swag we took home

As soon as we walked into the venue I was overwhelmed with emotions. It still felt like a dream to be there. I heard a familiar voice over the speakers, Tyler Florence, I immediately ran toward that stage to not miss a moment of his presentation. It was unbelievable; he spoke to the audience like we were all his close friends. 

Following Tyler were many other of my favorite Food Network stars like Robert Irvine, Anne Burrell, and my favorite, Alex Guarnachelli. My husband even surprised me that day with a copy of her cookbook which I got a personal meet and greet and signing. She talked to me like we were friends forever. She even shared some personal information about her night on the town the night before. I really couldn't believe such welcoming people surrounded me. Later on, I got to meet Kelsey Nixon, a new star on The Cooking Channel and I also got to take a selfie with Morimoto.

The icing on the top was when we left the stages to enter the food section; standing right outside the live presentations was my second favorite chef, Sunny Anderson.

It was a complete surprise because she wasn't not even listed on the agenda for the day. She was doing an appearance for Extended Stay America and was casually hanging out waiting for guests to discover her.I ran right up and said hello, after that we talked for almost half an hour. We shared food stories, hugs and a lot of laughs. It is a huge moment I will never forget. 

The different foods we tried were amazing. I had never had pork belly or escargot before, and they didn't let my expectations down. We had so many different treats; it's hard to name them all. The GEM wine and alcohol tent was outrageous. We tried some of the top-notch beverages from all over the world. I even saw one of the largest champagne bottles ever made. Needless to say, we left there feeling full, but pretty good! 

This birthday gift was something I never would have expected, nor dreamed I would be gifted with. All of my wishes came true that day and I left with such fantastic memories. 

It'sss BACON

It's a known fact that bacon makes everything better. Ok, its actually my opinion, but it's pretty true. Bacon is a food that can literally be used for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert! You can eat bacon by itself or incorporated into your meals. After you fry bacon, you can even use the fat as a substitute for butter or oil, and it makes your meal taste even more flavorful.

Bacon has really become a trendy food, everyone is trying to out cook one another just to see who can be more creative with their bacon. I'd like to share with you some of my favorite ways to fall in love with bacon, over and over again!

• The classic "Happy Waitress," a grilled cheese with bacon and tomato (sometimes served open face): this sandwich is not your boring two slices of bread glued together by cheese. The crispy salty bacon pairs nicely with the soft, sweet, sliced tomatoes. The cheese adheres to the ripples in the bacon making each bite a crunchy melty delight.

• Bacon wrapped scallops: I'm drooling just writing about it.
  
  These little gems really explode in your mouth. The scallop is tender and sweet. The bacon gives it a big salty hug. I usually eat these with a touch of horseradish sauce to give it a little bite. 

• Maple bacon cupcakes: I know this sounds weird but they are banging! You start with a traditional yellow cake recipe, topped with maple frosting and then crumbles of crunchy bacon. All the flavors really marry in your mouth. The hint of salt from the bacon is just enough to intensify the other flavors of the cupcake

• Chicken bacon ranch pizza: This has become a very popular pizza toppings combo. I see it at just about every pizza place I visit. The secret to making it even better is... buffalo chicken! The heat from the buffalo sauce, cools down with the ranch dressing and finishes with a crunchy hunk of bacon. The bacon is already cooked when added so when you cook the pizza the bacon gets even crunchier as it twice bakes. 

I just know, if you're anything like me, you will love these bacon enhanced foods! Bacon is such a simple ingredient, but when added to other foods, it totally ups the flavor levels!

Treat your tummy right with these great dairy alternatives

Dairy can be a nightmare for some people's stomachs, me being one of them. Ever since I was little, dairy products have always caused me issues. I've been tested several times for lactose intolerance but I have never gotten a positive reading. The doctors always said that I was probably just sensitive towards dairy. As I've gotten older, I've heard from many new doctors that dairy can really disturb people's digestive systems. Being a dairy food lover, I knew I had to be proactive, because I was being tortured every time I indulged in those foods. 

When I decided to go on the Paleo diet, I knew dairy wasn't allowed, so that was even more reason to discover non-dairy options. I started researching many products and meals that would be good alternatives to some of my favorite treats, those that I'd like to share below. 

Almond or coconut milk

When this beverage is good and cold, you could easily fool me that I'm drinking dairy milk. Almond and coconut milk typically comes in several flavors, usually vanilla and chocolate and then sweetened or unsweetened. I try to stick with the vanilla flavor, unsweetened because its generally sweet enough without the extra sugar. My favorite brand for almond milk is Silk and my favorite coconut milk is SoDelicious, but if the store brand is on sale I’ll buy that too. These milks goes great with cereal, making smoothies, and as an after dinner snack. In fact, when I'm craving something special I get the individual serving boxes of Silk dark chocolate, its a dessert all on its own, just like grown up chocolate milk. If your feeling creative you can try to make almond, or nut, milk on your own. Check out my classmates post here to see how. 

Coconut milk yogurt

On a paleo kick, I wanted a food that was paleo appropriate but still felt like breakfast. I often got tired of eating eggs all the time so I knew there must have been a sweet treat out there that would work with my diet. When I discovered coconut milk my breakfast dreams came true. Again, So Delicious to the rescue. They make individual serving cups of yogurt or larger 16oz containers. 

For the record, I did try almond milk yogurt, but didn't like it! 

Banana "Ice Cream" 

Moving away from the pre-made products listed below, I bring you a fruit turned into ice cream. Who doesn't love ice cream? Its probably my favorite dessert. My husband and I even had an ice cream bar at our wedding. On occasion its nice to have this as a treat, but too regularly and my belly is really update. I was browsing Pinterest one day for Paleo recipes and came across banana ice cream. I couldn't believe it so I had to try it. This honestly couldn't be any easier. All you need to do is freeze some overly ripe bananas overnight. I like to break them into one inch chunks for ease of storage and use. Once they are fully frozen, pulse the pieces in a food processor until they get nice and creamy. As soon as they start to break down you can mix in any additional ingredients to get your desired flavor. I've used chocolate chips, coconut, and even frozen strawberries, each creating their own mimic of traditional ice cream flavors. 

It's worth to note, SoDelicious makes a dairy free ice cream as well along with the products listed above, but I much prefer to save the $5 and just use up my extra bananas. I also prefer the least amount of ingredients in my food as well. 

I hope these alternatives can help provide some relief to you, or anyone you know who is sensitive to dairy. If anything, most of these options turn out to be healthier and more nutritious then most dairy products are, so more the reason to give them a try! 

My interview with the chef and owner of Cortlandt Colonial, Evan Liaskos

Evan Liaskos is not only the head chef at my favorite restaurant in Westchester, but is also the owner of his catering hall both named Cortlandt Colonial, which happened to be my wedding venue. Evan did an excellent job both in the front of the house and behind the scenes. He did so much to make our day special and we continue to visit on our anniversary every year. I couldn't think of a better person to interview.

Realizing his culinary dreams at the young age of 14, Evan perfected his skills by training at the world renowned Culinary Institute of America. After graduating, Evan took his trade across America. He worked in Las Vegas, Nevada for the Rio Hotel and Casino and Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Shreveport, Louisiana, before coming back to New York to become the head chef at his family business, Cortlandt Colonial. It's no wonder how he easily develops such diverse menu choices now knowing all of his experience and travels.

When cooking a meal, Evan wants to “wow someone” and hopes that when they try his food they think, "I've never thought of this dish, or never had one that was this good.” The first meal Evan learned to cook was chicken parmesan. Having many years to perfect this dish shows because it is probably one of the most delicious items on his menu. Evan claims the one ingredient he won’t cook with is liver, simply because he doesn’t like it. On the opposite, if he could order one choice off his menu that is his favorite, he says it would be the steak Campagnola.

Seeing that Cortlandt Colonial has won so many awards, I had to ask Evan if he's ever served anyone famous. I was highly impressed with his response. Evan has catered a wedding for one of Hillary Clinton's workers, to which she was invited.  He also hosted a wedding for The Orange County Choppers’ family, which several TV celebrities attended. Other famous diners at his restaurant include Sally Struthers, Ricki Lake, and Dr. Ruth.

Evan's true passion for the restaurant business, and his love of all the meals he ate growing up, really molded him into the Restaurateur he is today. It is clear that both the restaurant and catering business at Cortlandt Colonial are thriving. If Evan had to choose, "hands down", he says, he would pick the catering business. Evan states he specifically prefers to cater weddings because, "I love working with brides and grooms on their special day."  He has fantastic people skills that make dining for any occasion at Cortlandt Colonial an extra personal experience.

Evan's final note was, "all kinds of catering is enjoyable to me, because I am catering happy occasions." I think that really speaks the truth. From the moment you step foot into Cortlandt Colonial, until the moment you walk out, your experience and memories are all happy ones, thanks to Evan Liaskos and his amazing staff, who always giving top notch service!

Top 10 food shows to watch on TV

I've posted a lot lately about great food finds that I've eaten or created but I've yet to credit the major place I get my inspiration from. Day and night I am addicted to watching food television, specifically for the reality genre, the endless food creations and access to ingredients they seem to have. Lately it appears that every station is jumping on the bandwagon to feature food lover's entertainment. You can find a food featured show on almost every network but my favorites belong to Food Network, Cooking Channel and Travel Channel.

 I'd like to share with you what gets my belly growling as I torture myself watching these tantalizing shows. In no particular order here is my list:

1. Man v. Food: Adam Richman and guests eat supersized portions of a restaurant's challenge meal. Not that I could ever eat that much but it sure does look good.
2. Diners Drive-ins and Dives: I've made it a goal to visit one of these featured places every time I visit somewhere new; so far I've been to 3.
3. Guys Big Bites: I watch this mostly for Guy's fantastic outdoor kitchen.
4. Worst Cooks: This show proves to me that I am a good cook.
5. Next Food Network Star: This show inspires me to cook more.
6. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Anthony travels the world. He's real and raw.
7. Chopped: When we watch chopped, I play games with my family to see what we would make given that basket. We even did our own "chopped" contest at home and picked items out for each other to cook, much less adventurous of course.
8. 30 Minute Meals: Rachael Ray makes quick and easy family friendly meals on this show.
9. Guy's Grocery Games: This is another one of Guy Fieri's shows, this time a contest to see who can shop for the best meal creations.
10. Unwrapped 2.0: This is a spin off of previously aired Unwrapped. They breakdown how your favorite food treats are made giving you the real inside scoop.

I know all of these shows will surely inspire you to start cooking and eating more than you ever have before!

How to make Zucchini Fries

My husband always jokes with me when I convert a junk food into something not so junky, like turning zucchini into fries. I'll say "hey, try my zucchini fries, they're healthy." And then he'll reply with, "they're not healthy, they're just better for you." Well I disagree, and this time I think he put his foot where his mouth is, or really the fries where his mouth is.

I was looking for a healthy side dish to go with our already calorie cut back turkey burger meal. My family's go to is potatoes, they're quick and easy to make and not that awful. Problem is it can get real boring. It's also hard to please a family that is used to eating traditionally. I started looking up alternative fries options on Google. I knew I had some fresh zucchini that I just bought from the food store so I switched my search to zucchini fries. Sure enough, several dozen links came up matching my search. After looking at a few I gathered the similarities and decided to give it a try.

Here's how I made them.

Ingredients:

Two large fresh zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup panko bread crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
Salt, pepper and garlic powder
Parmesan cheese optional

Steps:
Set your oven to 450 and get ready to cook. Start with fresh zucchini (also known as green squash). The long fat firm ones work great, without any dents or bruise.

these are almost as big as my forearm

Clean the squash and then slice the edges off each side and then slide them in half down the middle so you have two fat pieces. Then stand each chunk up on its end and carefully make three plank slices, they should look like thick squares. Next cut each plank into quarter inch sticks resembling fries. They should look like this once they are cut.

don't they look like green fries?

Now you want to prepare to dredge, a cooking technique that coats wet food with dry ingredients. In a large shallow bowl mix your eggs and milk together until well blended. Sprinkling in some salt and pepper for taste.  Then in a separate bowl, preferably one with a lid to shake, add your bread crumbs, more salt and pepper and garlic powder for extra flavor. Add in your parmesan cheese if you're using it.

my dredging station

Here's where the fun kicks in. Take a few sticks at a time and let them take a swim in your egg/milk mixture. You want them good and wet. Once they're happy lift them out with a slotted spoon and let any excess liquid drip off. Immediately throw them into your dry mixture, throw the lid on and begin shaking, you want them covered in bread crumb goodness. Once they are fully coated use a set of tongs to take each one out and layer on an oil sprayed tray. I was able to fit all of mine on one tray.  Repeat the steps until they are all covered and resting awaiting their tanning bed.   When your oven is hot, put these babies in. For crispness you'll want to leave them in for around 20 minutes. I did a little flip half way through to make sure both sides get browned.

Here's the final product. I made a little chipotle mayo to go on the side as a dipping sauce.

mummm, see the crunch?

I'm sure these will be a hit with your family just like they were with mine. It was a nice treat to eating something that resembled junk but was super healthy. Unlike my husband's claim, these fries are loaded with vitamins and baked, not fried, with the slightest of breading. I'd say that's a healthy choice! 

A local foodie blogger after my own heart, herbs

Several years back I began subscribing to the newspaper the Journal News, basically so I could get the weekend coupons. With my subscription I was given a trial to access their online content. Figuring I would have more time to read online then the actual paper, I took them up on their offer. I went right to the lohud site (which pertains to my area, the lower Hudson Valley) and was surprised to see so much great content online that seems to get missed out when produced in print. Throughout their site they feature fascinating videos, vivid photography and a large selection of blogs and specialty columns.

I was naturally drawn to the food blogging section in hopes of finding some tips on local restaurants. Sure enough, there is plenty of that to read. These great bloggers, who are from the lohud area, share their knowledge on many topics familiar to them ranging from veganism, craft beers and fresh spices.

While browsing I stumbled upon a recent post that surely caught my eye. In relation to several posts I've made on this current blog, I couldn’t help but click on it. Titled "Spices and Seasons – Saving the Herbs – No Cook Fresh Herb Sauce," Rinku Bhattacharya, the spices and seasons blogger, easily grabbed my attention with her bright and cheerful photos with charming personal captions. She is very descriptive and informative when describing the different herbs, such as cilantro and basil, as well as how she works with them. She even offers a meticulously written recipe with instructions on how to create a simply and easy "no cook herb sauce."  Her explanations and directions are not confusing or overwhelming. All of her writing and graphics seem to flow together perfectly. It is clear that Bhattacharya truly loves working with her fresh herbs all year round and provides us with perfect examples as how to preserve them.

After reading this post I was very anxious to read others by Bhattacharya. As I hoped, they too are a delight to read! I admire that Bhattacharya takes the time to include neatly organized ingredient lists and recipes into her posts. It inspires me and I will now be adding more recipes to my own posts in hopes of enticing others to get in the kitchen and enjoy cooking!

Matcha, its magically delicious

Over the 4th of July holiday vacation my younger sister, Katie, came home for the weekend. She moved to Maryland to pursue her Master's degree two years ago. While down there she and her boyfriend are renting their own apartment, a first for both of them. Being on her own, Katie has discovered a similar passion for cooking just like her big sis! She often shares many new products and recipes with me that she tries.

This past week she left me a little treat in my lunch box, green tea cookies with white chocolate chips. I devoured them. I'm a huge fan of green tea, I drink it daily, but had no idea it came in a cooking form. Cue in Katie, she found Matcha powder online, which is finally ground powder of processed green tea and baked those cookies with it.

Amazed by her fabulous find I knew I had to get my hands on some.  I first did a little research. Being sensitive to caffeine I was immediately worried about the reaction I might have. I was surprised to find that it is extremely high in antioxidants and only has 1/3 the caffeine content of a cup of coffee. It also claims to have many health benefits due to the high antioxidants. All thumbs up for me. In order to get my hands on some soon, we made a trip to our local Fairway Market which is more of a specialty store. Sure enough they had a large selection of imported teas with a very big bag of Matcha powder. We had them measure out just about an ounce since it runs almost $59 a pound. 

This product can be used in smoothies, which of course I tried, and of course it was delicious (tasted just like Starbucks Green Tea Frappe), as well as baked goods like cookies and breads, or just as a quick pick me up dissolved in some hot or cold water. Check out some recipes here.

It is treats like this that make me truly proud to be a part of a family that loves to cook just as much as I do. Thanks to my sister Katie, I now have discovered a wonderful new product to experiment with and enjoy! 

Spiralizer Wikipedia followup

A few weeks ago I wrote a post titled a spiralizers many uses where I discussed how fabulous the spiralizer kitchen tool was and referenced Wikipedia's entry on the product. To my surprise the entry was extremely short and hardly spoke about the vegetables you could use with the product. In fact, the "Usage" section referenced household products that most people use who also use a spiralizer. I decided to alter the Wikipedia entry to include the actual foods you can use with a spiralizer and how they can be used, for instance, zucchini can be used to make noodles with sauce, and carrots can be used as an edible garnish. I also completely removed the mention of blenders or processors since they didn't pertain to a spiralizer. 

I was so proud, this had been my first time contributing to Wikipedia after many years of using their site. I shared my change with past classmates and my husband. Within seconds they dropped the ball on me that my entry was deleted. I was shocked, and even more shocked to find that a "bot", which is a computerized program made to spot vandalism, deleted my post. Convinced I had made a mistake I went back into the system, double checked everything and reposted with some additional technical information. This time, within minutes a human contributor removed almost all of my post stating I did not reference a section, which I clearly did, so I was forced to react. I then took back their edits and re-entered mine for try #3. Third times a charm, right? Not quite, the human editor then informed me that my multiple references add nothing of significance and therefore edited my post yet again. Needless to say I was pretty heated at this point. 

Here is the current extremely abridged version of what I contributed to:

Spiralizers are often used to produce vegan or vegetarian meals or to transform high calorie meals into healthier options. Recipes containing spiraled ingredients are available on health blogs, (particularly vegan, vegetarian and paleo) and on social media sites.

After my several losses I took a few minutes and chilled out. After reading what was left to my entry I realized that part of my attempt to change the Wikipedia entry was a success. I did get the irrelevant section of other household items removed from the entry and the two sentences remaining were my own. Although I still stand by my additional information that was deleted, I realize that Wikipedia is not the place to argue over a few vegetables. Blogging is a great place to share plenty of information about a product and thus came several posts discussing different vegetable uses. I will still continue to use Wikipedia for quick knowledge of unknown subjects but I'm not sure if I will be contributing to it in the near future. 

Vegetables, the new junk food

When trying to eat healthy, vegetables are the first items that come to mind. In a previous post titled "Making veggies fun", I showed you how you can transform every day boring vegetables into a fun treat for your family. I'd like to share a few more tips in this post as to how you can transform vegetables into everyone's favorite junk food... chips! 

Now I know that everyone is used to eating potatoes, which is a vegetable, and makes a great chip, but they are also very dense and full of carbs and calories. Today I'm going to share how you can create delicious, crunchy chips with zucchini, kale, and Brussels sprouts (also mentioned in "Making veggies fun" post). These chip versions are much lower in calorie, contain more vitamins, and they bake very well saving you on the extra calories when frying typical potato chips.

Zucchini Chips

Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables to begin with. It is very easy to cook with and usually very inexpensive. Zucchini is not something I usually see featured on a menu unless it's deep fried into what is called zucchini sticks. It wasn't until I visited my now favorite restaurant Blu Fig (check out my review) that I found zucchini chips listed as an appetizer. Served with Greek tzatziki sauce, this crispy, crunchy, cool delight is a must have. Now the ones served at Blu Fig do have a light breading before they are baked but they can always be sliced and baked just on their own. The trick is to slice them very thin and then just apply a light drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. I normally cook at a higher temp for a quicker time, anywhere around 450 for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on them, when they brown they're done. For extra flavor you can throw on a little garlic powder or Parmesan cheese. 

Kale Chips

These don't look like you're traditional chips but when you take a bit out of one you will instantly feel like you're cheating on your diet. Kale chips begin by removing the stalk from

kale leaves, tearing off bite size pieces, and then washing and carefully drying the kale. I use a salad spinner for best results. You don't want any liquid to make these soggy. If you're lazy, you can buy a bag already prepped and ready to go at the food store. Once prepped layer them on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle a touch of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper, or any seasoning of your liking. This time I bake at a lower setting, around 350 for 20-30 minutes, rotation my pan. You don't want black leaves, just a touch of brown. 

Brussels Sprout Chips

If you read my previous post mentioned above, you'll know by now that Brussels sprouts are way cooler then you probably thought.

They are great when some of their outer leaves fall off and crisp up, but this time you're going to cut the bottom off and remove all of the layers to form little round chips. Once you have a nice pile, layer on a baking sheet and drizzle on olive oil, balsamic, sea salt and pepper. Mix with your hands, then bake at 375 for around 10-15 minutes. Some of the bigger chips will take longer to cook so make sure you rotate all of them with a spatula so they don't burn. You can take out the ones that brown first. In just a few cooling seconds you will have little crispy chips that aren't a thing like you're typical Brussels sprouts. 

All of these recipes can be altered to your taste. I like to add the salt for flavor but you can eat these plain. You can add in any additional seasons you'd like to really spice these up. These healthy snacks will become a regular in your household for kids and adults to enjoy!