• instruction

    Coffee Grading #1 – Thinking Cup

    2012 is becoming the year of the numerical food blog posts. I’ve already completed 4 of 52+ new-to-me recipes from my favorite food websites, cookbooks and recommendations from others. I have planned my first of 12 dinner parties (a January 29th taco night with friends). That covers a lot of the “appetite” aspect of this blog, but not the “appetite” + “instruction.” Given how much coffee and food I consume during grading tests, quizzes and projects, I have decided to start another series: coffee-grading. As much as I love my condo, sometimes I prefer to do work at coffee shops. A latte, some Icelandic electropop, and a wooden table can…

  • appetite

    Grocery Challenge #2

    Meals Steak salad with grape tomatoes, romaine, butter lettuce and chimichurri sauce Alton Brown’s pan seared ribeye (bought another steak and more red wine vinegar for dinner) Chicken salad with grape tomatoes, romaine and spinach (left over from last week) Mushrooms with onions, garlic and truffle salt (see ribeye post) Fried eggs (with things like leftover mushrooms or avocado halves) Banana & almond milk smoothies Anchovy and radish salad Lemony roasted potatoes (an oldie but goodie from the Veganomicon cookbook) Planned But Did Not Make Roasted eggplant Tuna and green bean salad Mint iced tea Egg salad My Ivy Chopped Salad from the GOOP newsletter Tomato and avocado salsa Leftover…

  • appetite

    Recipe #4 – Pan Seared Ribeye with Truffled Mushrooms and Chimichurri

    Ray’s the Steaks is my favorite steak place in the D.C. area. When I was last there, I had the Brazilian Strip steak with spicy piranha sauce and roasted wild mushrooms with truffle oil, porcini-fresh herb puree and golden sherry. Recipe #4 is an in-home adaptation of Ray’s. Pan Seared Ribeye:Alton Brown + Truffled Mushrooms (me) + Chimichurri: Simply Recipes Steak 1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick Canola oil to coat [used olive oil] Kosher salt and ground black pepper [used Murray River sea salt] Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature. Mushrooms While doing…

  • appetite

    My First Boston Brunchers Experience – Ceia

    The Peeps Went to Ceia today with the Boston Brunchers, a lively bunch of ladies (and gentleman) who had lots of fun restaurant tips, cooking ideas, social media and jokes to share! I’m looking forward to enjoying more delicious food and drink with these folks. The Meal Upon arrival at our seats, out came our array of SLRs, iPhones, and point-and-shoot cameras. We started with the St. Germain 75 cocktail: Tanqueray, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and sparkling rose. The St. Germain 75 was much smoother and more complex than a mimosa. Up next was the oyster escabeche: lightly cooked oysters and a bit of grapefruit…

  • appetite

    Grocery Challenge #1

    Introducing…the grocery challenge! I would like to get better at long-term meal planning, so I decided to track my purchases at Whole Foods and see what I ended up making and throwing out. I used to live within walking distance of a Whole Foods, but that was very dangerous for my budget–it was too easy to pop in after work and buy prepared food or impulse purchases. We’ve all been there at some point–went to the store with the best of intentions but came home only to find a bag full of organic soap, a hand-woven basket, starfruit and sushi. Now I drive to a nearby Whole Foods, which enables…

  • appetite

    Recipe #3 – Adobo and Coconut Cauliflower Rice

    Adobo: Burnt Lumpia (Adobo adapted from March 2007  Sunset Magazine Easy Chicken Adobo recipe + the Burnt Lumpia commenters) 1 Tbsp olive oil [did not have achuete oil] 1 tsp smoked paprika 8 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin 6 cloves garlic, minced [added one more…I love garlic] 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1/3 cup soy sauce 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns [added too many by mistake] 2 bay leaves Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brown the other side, another 5…

  • appetite

    Recipe #2 – Vietnamese Shrimp Salad

    Source: Serious Eats Ingredients & Modifications <span > For the dressing: 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice [used lemon juice instead] 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar [omitted] 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more if desired [used more] For the salad: 1/2 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1 cup quinoa, rinsed (or pre-washed) [used spinach instead] 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin bite-sized strips [used yellow pepper instead] 1 carrot, peeled and shredded [omitted] 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced [used zucchini instead] 2 scallions, finely chopped [used onion instead] 1/4 cup chopped…

  • appetite

    Recipe #1 – Pineapple, Honeydew and Mango Salad

    I made recipe #1 for a math party that I attended today. The party was a potluck, and the host asked guests to bring salad, dessert, or drinks. I decided to combine the dessert and salad by bringing this fruit salad from Epicurious. Ingredients 2 cups diced peeled fresh pineapple 1 cup diced seeded peeled honeydew melon 1 cup diced peeled pitted mango 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh cilantro or mint 1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger 1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Preparation Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds in large bowl.…

  • appetite

    Boston Brunchers – Ceia in Newburyport

    My friend Jess recently told me about Boston Brunchers (a blogging/brunching community that also includes writers, tweeters, bakers, and PR professionals). I love discovering new places to eat and am excited about getting involved. This month’s brunch is at Ceia, a Newburyport restaurant with an average of 4 stars on Yelp. Sounds like an awesome day trip and opportunity to meet other foodies over oysters, linguica and potato hash, and much more! Photo Credit: Ceia (http://www.ceia-newburyport.com) Enter to win brunch at Ceia in Newburyport!

  • appetite

    Restaurant Outing – Sei Bar

    Yesterday we rang in the new year with a visit to our favorite sushi restaurant, Sei Bar! The sushi and the customer service are equally awesome. We love going there for date nights or birthday celebrations–you can always count on a cheerful, easygoing experience! No crowds, long waits for tables, or snooty attitude can ever be found. The staff will also get to know you after you come in a few times, and they’ve been known to throw in free creme brulees, drinks, or Viking boats. Some highlights of dinner (coincidentally some of my favorite things to order) are below: Reason #1 to Love Sei Bar: Fresh, Simple Ingredients. Spicy…

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