wordplate

anthology of an omnivore well-versed in food.

Permalink pictured: Whole Foods chicken soup (too tired to attempt from scratch, but added the kale!), echinacea tablets (for an immunity boost) and stress relief tea. not sure what’s wrong with me yet, but my usual stellar health is hurting. doesn’t help that i’ve been too wrapped up with work to take care of myself, stress is not your immune system’s friend, especially when coupled with long hours at work and trying to squeeze in a social life/training for a half marathon. without any parental supervision, a reality check from a bestie who knows what an idiot i can be and watches out for me (ames xo) forced me to give up hope of running my half marathon tomorrow and just take care of myself. i have run it once before and just can’t afford to delay getting healthy any longer; especially considering I have 3 consecutive roundtrip flights looming in the very near future. because the doctor isn’t sure what’s wrong with me yet, she couldn’t prescribe any meds (i was begging for a z-pack like a drug fiend lol), so i went a little hippie here in trying to help myself while we wait for lab test results to hopefully clarify. until then, it’s rest, soups and hot showers for me, fingers crossed! note to self: stop obsessing/stressing over work and running yourself ragged, it’s just advertising, yo.
Permalink spring produce is here! last week i was so excited about produce, i made an asparagus, green bean and pea salad w/ lemon zest dressing. today i made some mini quiches with my leftover ingredients + spinach + mushrooms. so much delicious greenery. on the flipside, spring = allergies = terrible. i think allergies are a parental ploy to get me to move back to the midwest. unrelated to spring, but related to deliciousness, try the pecan pie smoothie from this fun site, lookbook cookbook.
Permalink every few months or so i find myself craving Chipotle. since I already had a handful of key ingredients from other meals last week, I figured I could throw together a burrito bowl without Chipotle’s assistance (and their silly extra charge for guac). super easy, really hit the spot, and i had enough left over to bring for lunch! not like anyone really needs a recipe, but here’s what i used in mine:-brown rice-Cuban black beans (canned, from Trader Joe’s)-spinach/baby kale mix -pico de gallo-guacamole-pepper/onion strips (also TJs, note their awesome grill marks)-chicken breast strips (you could omit these for a veggie/vegan spin, it’d be just as satisfying) *cute glass storage bowl from Fishs Eddy
Permalink amazing birthday eats in San Francisco. wish i had more time to spend there. also wish i took more food pictures. #firstworldfattyproblems zazie: eggs en fonte, gingerbread pancake, miracle pancake (lemon ricotta)cowgirl creamery: humboldt fog, reading raclette, mt. tamstate bird provisions: dungeness crab & mandarin gelatina w/ avocado, quail (state bird), garlic bread w/ burrata, smoked potato & wild mushroom w/ nettles, kale blossoms, earl grey/almond/cocoa ice cream sandwich, and some sort of fancy souffle cheesecake.poggio: veggie panini, homemade cashew granola w/ yogurt & berriesavatars: samosas, mixed veggie curry (pictured), pumpkin enchiladas, avatar’s dream (coconut ice cream slice topped w/ pistachios in a mango sauce)la boulangerie: hazelnut croissant, prosciutto/swiss/arugula on olive bread
Permalink corn and barley salad w/ a lemon-chive vinaigrette from “in the small kitchen” such a quick & easy vinaigrette; i got the recipe from their cookbook and it included dijon, white wine vinegar and honey.
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Permalink photo by Brock Davis, a fantastic artist in mn. a smorgasbord of other food-related updates… in my kitchen:-i made these coconut bars recently. if you like coconut, you should make these. coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut flakes. holy coconut trinity.-my friend Sara introduced me to a red lentil soup that i fell in love with and have made 9829032x since she shared the recipe. i’ve also done a heartier version where i nix the mint (do you know how hard it is to find mint?) and add kale + mushrooms. best use of my immersion blender. also, i put in a lot more cayenne than the recipe calls for, and sub’d quinoa for rice.-one of my fav tapas places in NY is Alta - i’ve made their crispy brussels sprouts multiple times since finding this copycat recipe.happy moments in other kitchens/restaurants:-i was in Mpls for Thanksgiving 2012. spent the holiday with favsie Amy and her fam - after fun gingerbread house-making and a delicious dinner, we had to lay on the floor b/c we were so full. love.-also in Nov, my bff C and I drunkenly decided we were going to improvise enchiladas one night (we are asian and white, respectively), we actually did a really good job b/c we’re good at food things. #unhumblebrag. marinated chicken thighs on the grill, oooh yes.-went to Morimoto again; the tuna tartare was both gorgeous and tasty and we ordered almost the entire dessert menu. Iron Chef magic.-last week, Kendal and I checked out Danji, so happy with the japchae, yellowtail sashimi and sablefish. elsewhere on the web and in my mouth:-shopperk: this is a new food-related site i’m excited to see develop. check out the tumblr too!-Trader Joe’s update: loving the jalapeno cilantro hummus and coconut chips (thanks for the tip on the coconut, Mike!)-speaking of Mike, every time i see a new instagram or other internet evidence of his wife’s cooking/baking, i wish i were an adopted member of their family. check out Kelley’s Suburban Sous blog!)-Whole Foods update: i always stop by their baked goods section to treat myself, recent things i tried/liked were the cheddar/scallion scone and the pumpkin cream cheese cranberry muffin. thumbs up! b d-oh yeah, in Nov i went to the middle-of-nowhere in Kansas for work, a lot of bbq was consumed. and we had to go to Applebee’s at one point. *shudder* it got to the point where i was so veggie-deprived, i was gravitating toward anything brightly-colored. middle America really needs to work on their healthy dining options :(-b/c i’m not a food snob, i’m totally bringing Totino’s pizza rolls to my friend’s Superbowl party tomorrow (and coconut bars!), ahh pizza rolls. those and bagel bites were my primary afterschool snacks back in the day, mmm adolescence. that’s all for now, whew, i need to keep up with wordplate more regularly. so much food in my life.
Permalink everyone knows i love breakfast foods, especially when enjoyed in the company of friends. my friend Kat hosted a breakfast gathering recently, and made me one of the best breakfast tacos of my life, this is what was happening in my mouth:-tortilla-beans-eggs-salsa-guacamole-jalapenos-cilantro-hot sauce-and the piece de resistance: TATER TOTS. perfect (so on-trend). thanks Kat!!
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Permalink i was lucky enough to be in San Francisco/Mill Valley and Seattle for work in August and had some amazing eats. unfortunately i lack photographic evidence, but some of the highlights below (also so i can remember and reference in the future): NorCal:-sol food: i got to sneak in a visit with Claire, she whisked me off to this amazing Puerto Rican restaurant right after i landed for some deliciousness, GOOD FRIEND :)-tipsy pig: brunch spot near Claire’s place-humphry slocombe: i’m a sucker for fun ice cream flavours-little baobob: met up w/ Kat and Mike too, had fantastic tilapia and a sampler of juices: ginger, tamarind and hibiscus. i want to go back and try more food.-salito’s: cute crabhouse over the bridge-el paseo: Tyler Florence came over and introduced himself to our table! Food Network nerdout moment. apparently he co-owns this place with Sammy Hagar. Seattle:-pikes place market: i knew i’d like this place before i even stepped foot in it. this is where i bought a sourdough cinnamon bun, which was heaven.-lowell’s: my EP and i came here for breakfast every morning. it was always tasty, came with buttered sourdough toast and had an amazing view of the Puget Sound.-steelhead diner: where we discovered Alderwood Smoked Salt. of course we wanted to purchase our own, which led us to…-world spice merchants: also picked up some Smokin’ Hot Garlic Pepper-lecosho: tasty and cute place-maximilien: went to this french restaurant full of couples w/ mike and ted lol
Permalink summer cooking is the best b/c the farmers market is full of goodies. i made these veggie-centric recipes and realized my mom was right, i would one day love vegetables. darn. zucchini quinoa patties and a corn asparagus salad (‘cept i used fresh corn).
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Permalink and then there are the times you realize you’ve been surviving off cupcakes, alcohol and other naughty vices and have to run a half marathon in 2 weeks. so you buy a plethora of veggie goodness from Whole Foods and declare a pre-race mini-detox. i still ate a cupcake yesterday though.
Permalink every time i go back to visit MN, my eating/drinking habits are out of control, but definitely worth the unhealthy for a happy time at home w/ my favorites. new restaurants, old favorites & grandma’s home cooking = perfect trifecta a summary of the trip’s eats/drinks:Brit’s Pub: Strongbow, natch. advertising nerding + producer hangoutsies.Tao: sweet potato burrito! great post-run/tennis lunch uptown with D :)Sebastian Joe’s: flavor decisions were so hard, but narrowed it down to raspberry choc chip and choc chip Teddy Graham this time; thanks for the sweet treat S!112 Eatery: duck & raddichio salad, cauliflower fritters, tagliatelle w/ foie gras meatballs, choc cinnamon torte & a glass of cava. a tasty pre-concert din w/ KThe Happy Gnome: (pictured) asparagus salad w/ poached egg, pancetta & gravlax and wild rice soup (duh, it’s MN). lovely St. Paul lunch w/ CC Butcher and The Boar: double cut berkshire pork chop w/ maple, blueberry & pecan relish, beer-battered fries, sweet potato, smothered greens. libation: Sazerac! C and I were overjoyed with the pork chop. Bar La Grassa: late night catch-up sesh w/ J, enjoyed my fav drink at BLG, the Aviation: Bombay, maraschino, creme de violette & lemon juice. Should probs detox this week. Thanks for the happy tastebuds, Minneapolis!