update

just to let everyone know what's cooking... apparently i live about 10 minutes away from the original 'Quaker steak and lube' voted best wings USA... and my friend from buffalo says no one is better than anchor bar *where the stuff was invented.. 

road trip? you betcha! check in for that soon.. I'm going to try that atomic hot one * there's a release form to be signed, this should be interesting.. 

meanwhile, 

eat extraordinary everyday! 

Go Steelers!!!

I've lived in Pittsburgh for about two years. its been very hard on me, as i am usually at least 40 degrees out of my natural habitat. but i've gotten over it and learned a little about what it is to live it Pittsburgh and how Pittsburgh's eats. 

the food here is real, its matches the people's taste. they like what they know and they don't need anything frou frou in the mix. nothing fancy, just give it to me, mentality. to really appreciate that, it took me a few years to get. at first i didn't know what to think of the food of Pittsburgh. after a few steeler games, pirate games and pens games, you start to understand. the food here goes amazing with beer. never had i ever thought i would say i like beer, but here you learn to like it and slowly love it (*if you're not from the Burgh.)  but the history of the city comes through in the foods that the people love. funny story about my move to Pittsburgh. a dear friend of mine said something odd when i told him i was moving to Pittsburgh for school. he said  "omg they have this outrageous sandwich that is unique to them, its just amazing and huge" with that i learned my first unique Pittsburgh thing. Primanti's 

when you think of Pittsburgh, that should come to your head. Primanti's. it came from the people who were working in the mills, the truckers and the late night crowds. open all day and in various places throughout the city, they are Pittsburgh. the spirit of the city in a sandwich. the combination is unique. there is some tomatoes, yummy fries and of course the slaw. no need for plates, just some paper and you're good. but you should have it with beer, it helps it go down; its massive. but man is it filling. i was a bit scared of it, but i was living in Pittsburgh now; so with that thought, i consumed my roast beef sandwich with an iron city beer after. and although i dont go there everyday or that often, i have much respect for it. 

there are other great places in Pittsburgh...but i'm too scared of the cold to venture out as often as i should. so with that, if you come to Pittsburgh; come to primanti's. once you eat that, you'll get a good feeling of how the people of Pittsburgh are, real and great with beer and of course always down for a good time at the bar watching their teams play. 

GO STEELERS !!!! Win that Super Bowl. 

eat extraordinary everyday! 

tune in....

tune in tonight!!!!!

premiere of Throw Down with Bobby Flay: Sushi

time: eastern 9pm and midnight 

          western 6pm, 9pm and midnight

where: foodtv/food network 

i'm pretty excited as my former boss/friend is now going to be challenged by bobby flay to make sushi... this should be very interesting.. and i'm not telling you the outcome. tune in tonight!!! 

really?? salmon?

today i heard something almost a bit shocking. 

since the new year, my sister and i are trying to make an effort towards a healthier lifestyle. with that i started to prepare most of my own lunches so that i do not eat food i have no control over at school. i also make a portion for my sister as well. she's on track to lose a lot of weight and eating much healthier, which makes me happy. for the past few lunches, i've tried to finish the pack of frozen salmon that we had. our lunches usually consist of a salad (romaine lettuce, thinly sliced bell peppers, carrots and celery *everything usually chopped and sliced) and i make a wasabi dressing to go with it. for the protein side of the lunch, i make salmon. simply seasoned with salt and pepper, a few slices of lemon and a squeeze and i wrap it up and bake it. that's about it. it comes out just right, keeping its texture and flavor. 

well my sister took her lunch into work. and a coworker asked her what she was eating. my sister gave her a tiny piece of salmon and salad to try. and she was amazed at how it was actually good. this coworker of my sister has never had salmon before. she never tried it because she is actually a very very picky eater. although her picky-ness results in frozen dinners and fast food joints. it was very surprising to me that someone over the age of 25 has never tried salmon. i mean. they have it at panera bread. they have some form of fish at the golden arches, but really? never tried it? wow. after all the endless amounts of published research on the omega fats that salmon has and all the publicity. nothing? till today. i ended up texting the coworker the recipe to prepare the salmon just as i made it. and i hope she tries it. and perhaps move one step closer to cooking her own food at home and trying more things. 

i admit. i live in a small town in western Pennsylvania. and i dont expect everyone here to have the palate that i have. i mean there is a mexican restaurant here and a few chinese food buffet. okay.. those places are not that great, but they have options to eating there instead of a chain diner place or through a window. one day i'll take a picture of the line at the drive through during dinner time. people just pick up their foods. i know its expensive to go and make your food, but i promise it pays off in the end. bon appetit just had an issue where they help make recipes for the whole family on a very good budget and its gourmet food at that on top of being healthy. if i could i would just help everyone eat a home cooked meal everything. those are the activities that build the foundations of a healthy lifestyle and good memories. people never forget a good meal or a great dish. they develop a taste in experimentation and start to explore the world through their culinary curiosities. i think its a shame that our society is forgetting the wonders of what a dinner with the family can do for everyone in the family unit. people talk about how our society is bad, well everything starts at home. and the best way to bring people together is with food. think about it. 

with that. i'm going to leave this blog with just a hope that everyone will try to have a sit down meal with family, friends or coworkers/anyone will do. because sharing your food can help spread some wonderful flavors into someone else's world. 

eat extraordinary everyday. 

BRUNCH

Happy New Year! 

I wish everyone a great 2009 filled with new culinary adventures as well as discoveries of old classics. 

I was thinking back to times when I was most happiest with my friends. I recall Brunch moments. i have three memories that I'm going to share with you all. 

1. classic cafe Laurent. as in previous blogs, this is one of my favorite places to eat. regardless of what others think, this is one of my favorite places to eat brunch alone. on Sundays they have a live jazz band or musician playing very cute music to eat along with. my favorite thing to get at cafe Laurent (any time that I'm not there for lunch) is definitely the eggs Benedict. there is something about good hollandaise on perfect poached eggs that make me smile. and its served with scalloped potatoes. and of course you have to get the outside seating. going to brunch after a night out with your friends is so nice to treat a hang over.. then a nice walk on the beach is the perfect Sunday. 

2. this is for those who love to keep drinking.. in calabasas, ca. there is a Mexican brunch place called la paz. they include margaritas or mimosas with your brunch and its buffet style. outside seating of course, but the topper is the Mariachi band. there is a wide wide selection of food for you. i went with a group of my friends about 15 of us, everyone drinking eating and laughing. we had a blast seeing who could drink the most and eat the most, lots of gluttony *no judging. we all moved the party back to my friend's house for a poolside BBQ party, keep Sunday a  day of relaxation and good times with friends. 

3. my friend segal loves to cook, we often make lots of great BBQ meals together for all our friends and his business associates. one year we did brunch to help him get rid of the Dom p and the Cristal bottles of champagne he had laying around. so we had a massive brunch for 15 people, pretty much impromptu *like most great parties are. we made some pork chop steaks, waffles, omelets, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, mimosas, coffee and i think there might have been some fruit smoothies.. there was a lot of food and of course everyone came hungry and we put away all that food. it was a great time. 

i was inspired by a show "how i met your mother" when they talked about brunch. i love brunch just like the characters in the show. and i decided to think about all the great brunches i've had. of course there are many places out there that serve amazing brunch, but the point of the meal is that it makes people happy. either helping out the previous' night consumption of alcohol or starting a nice lazy Sunday afternoon, the brunch meal is always a good time for all who participate. so i hope this year everyone goes out with their friends and family for some good brunch. 

SHABU SHABU

one of my favorite ways to eat food is to cook it as i eat it... doesn't get any fresher than that. my sister and i usually save it for the coldest winter nights here in Pennsylvania which is often.. shabu shabu is what i'm talking about. if you havent tried it.. then you should after you read the blog. shabu shabu is the Japanese name for the dish. but there are many different asian versions of how you eat it and what you call it depending on where you go. the basis is always a hot pot of broth in the center and thinly sliced beef, seafood and veggies that are raw to be cooked in the broth as you consume it. plus an array of dipping sauces that can be customized to your liking. I'll look into where it originated but nonetheless its a fun way to eat with family and friends. 

I've gathered some pictures from flickr since i have yet to take any pictures of my home shabu shabu experience. but there is something about cooking and eating food with your close family together and watching the food cook that makes it a nice experience. hot it goes into your mouth and sometimes too hot, but that's the fun of it. in monterey park, ca there is a place that has outside seating where you can eat it in a large table with your family in a circle. they have Chinese herbs in the broth and that make it taste great perhaps even good for you. the broth as you would imagine gets tastier as you cook more and more different veggies and meats. so in the end drinking the broth with some rice noodles is just a nice treat. some places have split pots with spicy broth and regular, we make that type at home since not everyone can eat as spicy as my sister and i can. but its nice to have options. this is perfect for the picky eater as they can just cook what they want to eat without any worry. we usually have thinly sliced beef, shrimp, squid balls, meat balls, fish balls, napa cabbage, tofu, taro, egg, scallions, mushrooms... and rice noodles.. but sometimes we add more things, it just dependent on how many options you want to give yourself.  i love options... there is just something about sitting in a circle with your friends and family making food together that i think is special. i always end up full and happy. perhaps it takes us back to our ancestral roots of the hunter and gatherer stage of human civilization, were food was a ceremony and part of a community building ritual. 

i hope that everyone tries shabu shabu one point this upcoming year and see how fun it is.. i think it beats out fondue cheese any day. but i like having noodles as an option, which makes me biased on that opinion. don't be scared, if you think the beef isn't cooked all the way through you can just leave it in a bit longer, no pressure, and if you like it a bit medium that works too, there is not right or wrong when it comes to shabu shabu and what you eat. 

eat extraordinary everyday 

Food Snob...

I've come to the realization that I may have a little problem sometimes when I become a food snob. It comes out only when someone who clearly doesnt know anything about food says they have great taste. for me, to earn my respect in food talk, you must eat everything, try, and second chances. you learn by eating. and you are open to eating... a true foodie is the best ambassador of all cultures, in my opinion. yes i like art but i feel that since everyone must eat, food and taste is a cultural connection that humans have with each other from all around the world. 

I wont be in los angeles for a while, but the memories of my spots are coming up. when i get home sick i think about a perfect day. and today Cafe Laurent came into mind. this is a little place that i kept passing by, but one day a friend took me there... and i made it my place by the end of the year. its a little cute daytime cafe in culver city, ca. it is so cute! there is something about a place that doesn't bullshit and is right around the corner that i love. it took me just about one meal to fall in love with this place, its the perfect place to go alone or with a good friend. the food is good once you know your own taste. its nice because there is a variety of things to choice from. you cannot really go wrong with anything. i have my favorites... the bistro club.. that's one of the permanents on the menu. but heres the secret, go for the specials, for the most part every special i've had has blown my mind away. the crab cake burger! the dressing on that salads! and dessert.... *i'll get back to. 

At Cafe Laurent, most of the time there is a beautiful french manager who knows her food. I have become friends with her, i adore her because she actually knows a thing or two about living life and eating food. from her recommendations i've come to do a full three dishes when i'm there sometimes. the mushroom soup is good, its thick and creamy-comes with toasted baguette slices of course. Move onto the sandwich of the day. pick anyone but my favorite so far is the curried turkey salad on the special bread. the sandwich itself might be the most colorful and yummy looking thing you will ever see on a plate. and it tastes even better than it looks. most sandwich plates are served with the scalloped potatoes and salad with house dressing.. very delicious. and dessert is just great. this is the only place where i will have bread pudding, well they have a chocolate one... thats the kicker. although the top top dessert you will have to get here is the chocolate pecan torte. and dont forget the espresso or cappuccino. 

a perfect day is nice lunch with the newspaper/gourmet magazine at cafe laurent then a nice stroll along venice beach...