Epicurean Enthusiast: food

Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Monday, February 27, 2012

Fellow Foodie Fun

Recently there has been a wave of "Getting to Know You" type blog-chains going around. And I thought, even though I did one on my other blog, that it'd be fun to do a Food-Themed one here and tag my favorite food bloggers (some are DIY bloggers or just foodies but it'll still be fun).

The idea is come up with 13 (a baker's dozen) questions and then tag 13 fellow foodies to answer these questions. They post the answers on their blog, come up with a new 13 questions and tag 13 foodie-friends. Simple. (Just don't forget to tell the tagged people they've been tagged).

So the 13 Fellow Foodies I'm going to tag are:

Gorgonzola Fries -
My latest guilty pleasure

Cookies & Cups

For the Love of Cooking

I Like Ginger Biscuits

Scrumptious Saturdays

Spanish Recipes

Sugar & Spice by Celeste

Sugar Plum

You Say it Best

Now for some food-fun questions.

1. What food did you once hate (as a child or even more recently) that you have found an appreciate for and now enjoy?

2. What do you normally order when going out to breakfast/brunch?

3. What is your favorite late-night snack?

4. What is the one dish you wish you could cook, but haven't yet mastered?

5. What is your favorite restaurant? Where is it located and what is your favorite dish on their menu?

6. Who taught you how to cook?

7. What is the worst cooking disaster you've ever caused?

8. What did you have for dinner last night?

9. What restaurant do you want to eat at and haven't?

10. What is your guilty-pleasure food item?

11. What food item/dish do you just love that your family/friends can't/won't try?

12. Cake or Pie? What kind?

13. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would be your last meal?*

Don't feel like because you weren't tagged you can't play along....

*Thank you Anthony Bourdain for this fun food question.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Foodie? Prove It

Fried Alligator

A fellow foodie friend posted an app she'd found on facebook. It's a checklist of 100 top foods to eat before you die. Apparently, according to the application, (which we know can be as factual as this weeks tabloids) most people have only tried 20 (or less) of these 100 foods.

I've had 63... Does that mean it's okay to call myself a foodie? :)

Bagel and lox

Abalone
Absinthe
Alligator
Baba Ghanoush
Bagel & Lox
Baklava
BBQ Ribs
Billini
Bird's Nest Soup
Biscuits & Gravy
Black Pudding
Black Truffle
Borscht

Durian (on my patio furniture)

Spring Rolls

Calamari
Carp
Caviar
Cheese Fondue
Chicken & Waffles
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chile Relleno
Chitlins
Churros
Clam Chowder
Cognac
Crab Cakes
Crickets
Currywurst
Dandelion Wine
Dulce de Leche
Durian
Eel
Eggs Benedict
Fish Tacos
Foie Gras
Fresh Spring Rolls
Fried Catfish
Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Plantain
Frito Pie

All kinds of lobster pieces. Mmmm

Frog Legs
Fugu
Funnel Cake
Gazpacho
Goat
Goat's Milk
Goulash
Gumbo
Haggis
Head Cheese
Heirloom Tomatoes
Honeycomb
Hostess Fruit Pie
Huevos Rancheros
Jerk Chicken
Kangaroo
Key Lime Pie
Kobe Beef
Lassi

Pho. I make this at home even.

Lobster
Mimosa
Moonpie
Morel Mushrooms
Nettle Tea
Octopus
Oxtail Soup
Paella
Paneer
Pastrami on Rye
Pavlova
Phaal
Philly Cheese Steak
Pho

My one and only time trying uni (sea urchin)...far right

Pineapple & Cottage Cheese
Pistachio Ice Cream
Po'Boy
Pocky
Polenta
Prickly Pear
Rabbit Stew
Raw Oysters
Root Beer Float
S'mores
Sauerkraut
Sea Urchin
Shark

First time for spaetzle too. So good.

Snail
Snake
Soft Shell Crab
Som Tam
Spaetzle
Spam
Squirrel
Steak Tartare
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweetbreads
Tom Yum
Umeboshi
Venison
Wasabi Peas
Zucchini flowers

How many have you tried?

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Win a Cookbook!!

Alright there Food Fans! We're having a "Favorite Food Foto" contest on the facebook group "Leave me alone, I'm eating"

So here it is!!

All you have to do to win is:

1) Post a photograph of food to the wall of this event (click here to go to event wall). The photograph must be one you took but the food does not have to be home cooked.

2) Have friends and family "Like" the photo...strangers can like the photo too of course. :)

The person(s) with the MOST likes in exactly 1 week (ending November 1st) will get a FREE copy of Pampered Chef's Season's Best (featuring chocolate)!! Thanks to Jason, our very own Papered Chef host!

So on your mark..... Get set.... Start Cooking and Photographing!!

*one photo per person

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Food Porn

A fun quick NY Times video about the making of a (food) commercial.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Pass a bib please?

"Some foods you eat to stay alive, others you eat because not to would be a crime. Here are those foods worth traveling the world to gorge on."

I was sent to CNN to find the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods.... and I'm not talking just anyone's grandma's chicken soup. They have specific dishes from specific countries/regions. Some look/sound more scrumptious then I can wrap my head around. I haven't put the entire article below just the countdown and what I consider the highlights (one's I've tried I've made red, if I've eaten it in/from the country listed I've bolded it as well).

* * *

50. Buttered Popcorn: United States

49. Masala dosa: India ("A crispy, rice-batter crepe encases a spicy mix of mashed potato, which is then dipped in coconut chutney, pickles, tomato-and-lentil-based sauces and other condiments.")

48. Potato chips: United States

47. Seafood paella: Spain (Paella is a saffron-flavored Spanish dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken, and seafood.)

46. Som tam: Thailand ("Variations include those made with crab (som tam boo) and fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah), but none matches the flavor and simple beauty of the original.")

Poutine

45. Chicken rice: Singapore (The national dish of Singapore)

44. Poutine: Canada ("French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy...Our Canadian friends insist it’s best enjoyed at 3 a.m. after “several” beers.")

43. Tacos: Mexico

42. Buttered toast with Marmite: Britain (Marmite is dark brown-colored savory spread made from the yeast that is a by- product of the brewing industry.)

41. Stinky Tofu: Southeast Asia

40. Marzipan: Germany

39. Ketchup: United States

38. French Toast: Hong Kong (You got it. Not France. Not the USA. Hong Kong. "Unlike its more restrained Sunday brunch counterpart, Hong Kong-style French toast is like a deep-fried hug. Two pieces of toast are slathered with peanut butter or kaya jam, soaked in egg batter, fried in butter and served with still more butter and lots of syrup.")

37. Chicken Parm: Australia

36. Texas BBQ Pork: United States

35. Chili Crab: Singapore ("Spicy chili-tomato gravy tends to splatter, which is why you need to mop everything up with mini mantou buns.")

Fish and Chips

34. Maple Syrup: Canada

33. Fish'n'Chips: Britain

32. Ankimo: Japan (Monkfish liver)

31. Parma ham: Italy ("You see it folded around melon, wrapped around grissini, placed over pizza, heaped over salad.")

30. Goi cuon: Vietnam (Goi cuon is also called a Summer Roll "This snack made from pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper is served at room temperature.")

29. Ohmi-gyu beef steak: Japan

28. Pho: Vietnam

27. Montreal style smoked meat: Canada (The meat is cured for 10 days)

26. Fajitas: Mexico

25. Butter garlic crab: India

24. Champ: Ireland (An Irish national dish of "mashed potato with spring onions, butter, salt and pepper, champ is the perfect side with any meat or fish.")

Croissants

23. Lasagna: Italy

22. Brownie and Vanilla Ice Cream: Global

21. Croissant: France

20. Arepas: Venezuela

19. Nam tok moo: Thailand ("Grilled pork combined with lemon juice, green onions, chili, mint sprigs, fish sauce and toasted rice.")

18. Kebab: Iran

17. Lobster: Global

16. Egg Tart: Hong Kong ("Like many classic dishes, the Hong Kong egg tart marries two contrasting textures: crusty, flaky pastry and jiggly, trembling custard. It’s sweet, it’s delicious and it’s best eaten hot from the oven on the street while queuing up to get just one more.")

15. Kalua Pig: United States

14. Donuts: United States

13. Corn on the cob: Global

12. Shepherd's Pie: Britain

11. Rendang: Indonesia ("Beef is slowly simmered with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies, then left to stew for a few hours.")

10. Chicken muamba: Gabon ("chicken, hot chili, garlic, tomato, pepper, salt, okra and palm butter.")

Tom Yum soup

09. Ice cream: United States

08. Tom yum: Thailand

07. Penang assam laksa: Malaysia ("Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, and pineapple.")

06. Hamburger: Germany

05. Peking duck: China

04. Sushi: Japan

03. Chocolate: Mexico

02. Neopolitan Pizza: Italy

01. Massaman curry: Thailand ("Emphatically the king of curries....Spicy, coconutty, sweet and savory, its combination of flavors has more personality than a Thai election.")

Friday, July 8, 2011

365 Day Photo Challenge

I've been feeling a tad stagnant in my artistic side lately and have been toying around with the idea of a 365 day photo challenge. I recently completed a 30 day challenge on facebook and found it difficult to post a picture based off the assigned "theme" as it were. But leaving it as open ended as "just take a picture" wasn't what I was looking for either.

So why not combine my fascination with food and this idea of a 365 day photo challenge? So I thought I'd use this blog as a basis for posting the pictures.

Don't worry. I still plan on posting reviews, photos, recipes, etc. But will now (also) be taking a picture every day of a meal, beverage, food at the store, etc. And posting it here. Understandably there will be (for a while) some gaps in days. Since my only computer (with photo editing options) is at work the weekend pictures won't be edited and posted until Mondays.

So here's my first day photo challenge. I was running late this morning so instead of my normal Starbucks run I grabbed an Adina organics iced coffee from the bookstore (it was better than yesterdays other organic coffee drink I had from them).

Since this is the only thing I've consumed today (that was around for me to take a picture of) here we go:

photo editing done on picnik.com

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Facebook Group

Are you on Facebook?

Looking for another place to share your food blog?

Enjoy taking pictures of food and sharing them with others?

Dying to tell someone about the amazing meal you had last night?

Then find the Facebook Group "Leave me alone, I'm eating! :)"
(Yes, the smiley face is included)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Farmers Markets

I just love this time of year...even if it is still grey and drizzling out...it's the time when the Farmer's Markets start sprouting (pun intended) up everywhere!

I love just wandering around and seeing the beautiful colors of fresh fruits and vegetables.I could wander and take pictures, smell the delicious fragrances and people watch all day.

I miss living in downtown Oakland and having an amazing market only a few blocks away. Now, in Portland, I have half a dozen ones only a few (driving) minutes away. Either place. I don't care. I just love Farmer's Markets. I try to go every weekend (if I can).

Earlier this month Serious Eats website posted an article about 7 Tips for Making the Most of the Farmer's Markets. I agree with every single tip and try to remember them every time I go shopping. So I wanted to share them here.

* * *

7 Tips for Making the Most of the Farmer's Markets

Tip #1 - Shop Around: As tempting as those heirloom tomatoes or that huge stalk of brussels sprouts looks on the first table, even at a farmers' market, location is everything. At larger markets, you can expect the stalls nearest the entrance and exits or the ones closest to public transportation to sport heftier prices than the stalls further in from the periphery. I always try and take a quick walk all the way up and down the market taking note of who has what and what they're charging before jumping into any purchase. (It's so true! I've found the exact same produce, typically the same quality, for way cheaper in the further back stalls. Not to mention often these ones will be less picked over because they're further off the beaten path).

Tip #2 - Visit Early for Selection, Late for Price: Absolutely have to get your hands on some ramps or morels? You probably want to get to the market early to pick up the rarities before they go. On the other hand, late shopping has its benefits too. As the market day approaches its finish, many farmer's with extra produce will pass off the goods at bargain-basement prices. Just last week I picked up a dozen laid-that-morning eggs from Ronnybrook for 50¢ less than what I pay for organic eggs in the supermarket. Last year I snagged a few flats of overripe heirloom tomato seconds for $1 a pound—perfect for filling my winter pantry with jars of sauce. (I prefer going early because you don't have the same amount of crowds as mid-day and the vegetables look better; haven't started to wilt with the heat)

Tip #3 - Bring Your Own Bag: Bringing a sturdy, reusable shopping bag to the farmer's market not only makes sense for the environment, it's also nicer to the farmers and easier on your hands (our sturdy handles are way more comfortable than cheap plastic loops). (How could you think this is a bad idea? Who cares if everything is just getting piled on top of one another? The only trick is don't put a heavy bag of potatoes on top of those ripe peaches you just bought....squish)

Tip #4 - Communicate: Nobody knows their product better than the farmer's that produce them, and farmers' markets give you the opportunity to hear what's what straight from the horse's mouth. Make regular visits, and you may even find yourself getting better bargains or being offered special products for your loyalty. (When I was living in Oakland, I had one vendor that always had the best citrus. I'd take the offered samples, buy a variety here and there and after a while became a "regular". So often they'd weigh my bags and then toss in a handful of extra goodies here and there. Communication helps)

Tip #5 - Leave Your Shopping List Open: In fact, unless you really have to, don't go with a shopping list at all—go with a budget instead. Farmers' markets by their very nature are dynamic things that change from week to week both in terms of availability and quality. Be open to shopping around for the best ingredients whether they were part of your original plan or not, and you'll end up with a much better bounty. (Who goes to a Farmer's Market and only buys what's on their list?! I go with a few things I want to see if I can find sure...but then 2/3 of what I come home with wasn't even on my mind before I found them. Tamales, blueberry bread, earrings....so many amazing things. Keep an open mind people!)

Tip #6 - Do Your Research: Only a thorough on-site evaluation will tell you what's best on any particular day, but it pays to know in advance what to expect. Are we at the height of asparagus season, or is it more likely the farmer's are pushing stalks that are past their prime? Should you be focusing on the sprouts or the squash? You wouldn't want to miss out on the short Greengage season because you're busy filling your bag up with the apples that'll still be around for weeks to come, right? (Right...sure...uhhuh...whatever. I mean I do pay attention to what is in season and when...on some level. Mostly because now that I'm in Portland I can't get certain things all year long like I could in California. Asparagus, artichokes, peaches, GOOD citrus...these are things I have in my head so I know when to start scouring the country side for them.)

Tip #7 - Spread the Love: A lot of farmers' markets these days feature one or two really large farms that seem to sell a virtual supermarket's worth of produce, and often they sell really great stuff, but chances are they don't have the very best of everything. It pays to spend time visiting multiple stalls to pick and choose the best from each one. The farmers won't get offended. I promise. (I absolutely agree. Don't feel obligated to buy everything from one stall and don't worry if you are just going one stall over. This isn't a popularity contest. Everyone knows you just want the best product. Besides better to help everyone out a little than only one person out a lot. Right?)

* * *

I also found a pretty cool interactive map (for those of you in Portland) of the Farmer's Markets on Oregonlive.

The link also has information about the (Portland-proper) market's such as times, dates and websites. Pretty cool. :)

I can't wait for this weekend - 3 days off and come rain or shine I'm going to a Farmer's Market!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Bridal Shower Pictures

This past Sunday I threw a Bridal Shower for my sister and her partner. I spent two months planning, organizing and test running the menu. And then cooked Friday night, all day Saturday and the better part of Sunday morning putting the final touches on everything. I was so busy cooking I didn't have much time to stop and take pictures. Here is what I did manage to capture on film.