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guest post: eating for new york city

October 15, 2009

Hello Eating for England readers! I’m very jealous that our girl Angharad is living it up in Austin, TX at the moment, but I guess I shouldn’t complain – NYC is pretty cool too! I moved to the city about 2 years ago and ever since then I’ve made it my mission to explore the city’s best bakeries, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and running paths. I write about my training, eating, and cooking adventures on my blog – The Runner’s Kitchen. Stop on by and say hello!

Are you ready for a tour of the big apple? Let’s start with a morning run! One of my favorite places to run in the city is alongside the Hudson River in the Northern reaches of Manhattan. When I run under the George Washington Bridge and gaze out on the New Jersey Palisades, it’s hard to believe I’m still in New York City!

Now that we’ve worked up an appetite, it’s time to EAT! One of my favorite places to enjoy brunch in the city is at a place on the Upper West Side called Popover Cafe. They have the most amazing popovers – giant, flakey pastries with hollow insides. Think: croissant + biscuit hybrid. At the popover cafe it’s served with homemade strawberry butter. What a way to start the morning! If you’re looking for some vegetables, this place also makes some fabulous salads :-)

Ok, now that our bellies are full, maybe we should take a little stroll through Central Park. One of my favorite places to catch views of the city is from the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis reservoir. A 1.6 mile dirt path encircles the reservoir and provides the perfect photo op.

Hungry yet? I think it’s time for a snack. There’s a place called Levain Bakery that I’m absolutely obsessed with. The bakery is easy to miss – it’s tucked into the basement level of a brownstone on W. 74th st, but if you can find it, you won’t be disappointed! The cookies are nearly 1/2 lb each! My favorite is the dark chocolate with peanut butter chips – the outside is crispy while the inside is moist & chewy, almost like cookie dough! I have a tradition of treating myself to Levain Bakery cookies after running half-marathons :-)

Let that cookie digest for awhile and then get ready for dinner! I love a good beer along with my food, so one of my favorite places in the city is Pony Bar. The atmosphere is very chill and the pub serves all of its craft brews for $5. Pony Bar also has a respectable food menu – you’re going to need something alongside all of that beer! I highly recommend the roast chicken sandwich which comes on a toasted baguette and is accompanied by parmigiano-reggiano cheese, spicy remoulade, and tomatoes. I was served homemade potato chips and tangy pickles on the side.

Pheww….what a day! All that eating makes me sleepy (even in the city that never sleeps). Enjoy Texas, Angharad!

guest post: eating for yog messes

October 13, 2009

Cheers all you fabulous Eating for England readers!

My name is Holly, and I am the lady behind the blog, The Healthy Everythingtarian. As the name suggests, I like a bit o’ everything in my diet – fruits, veggies, dairy, grains and occasionally, meat. Instead of telling myself I can’t have this or that, I find a diet of inclusion works much better for me. I’m happy, the belly is happy and my tastebuds are happy. It’s an all-around winner.

I couldn’t be more happy to be guest posting for our girl Angharad. Since we are both Minnesotans (me for real, her transplanted), we have become real-life friends. Trust me, she is fun, fabulous and the sweetest thang you’ll ever meet. So, I knew I had some pressure to make this guest post good. While brainstorming on a jolly stroll home from work, it hit me…

I needed to teach y’all the art of the yog mess!

Main entry: yog mess
Pronounciation: yog\’mes
Function: noun

(1) a mixture of yogurt and various toppings, swirled together in a circular motion to create a haphazard pile of deliciousness

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Delicious Yog Mess

(1) Start with a good base. For me, I prefer plain Greek yog, preferably Oikos because it’s organic. Think of it as a blank canvas to throw paint on, thus creating your very own Sistine Chapel!

Plain Greek yog is the way to go for a truly irresistable mix.

(2) Add in the fruit(s) of your choice.In my experience, mushed bananas and berries work best. However, don’t be afraid to experiment! I have thoroughly enjoyed kiwi, fruit preserves/jelly and dried fruit in my messes. Especially if you are using plain yog, fruit is essential to give it that perfect amount of sweetness.

You cannot go wrong with a sliced or mushed naner in your mess.

(3) Texture! The key to a successful yog mess lies in the mixture of textures. Say that five times fast! Usually, the best way to add texture is through including grains in your mess. Grains vary widely so possibilities are quite endless: granola, cereal, graham crackers, muesli, granola bars, breakfast bars, breads…

Adding Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread to this mess was one of the best decisions I ever made.

(4) Frost your yog mess.The ONLY way to properly frost your mess is with nut butter. I don’t care what kind, flavor or brand – just make it nut butter, kapeesh? My two fave nut butters of the moment are raw almond butter (Trader Joe’s brand) and CinnaRaisin Swirl peanut butter (PB&Co.;).

Raw AB is the way to B!

(5) Embellish to your heart’s content.Embellishments are the best part! Some fabulous add-ins include: cinnamon, shredded coconut, drizzle of honey or agave, ground flaxseed, chocolate chips, almond meal, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, maple syrup…use your imagination!

Agave gives a yog mess a certain je ne sais quoi?

(6) Make your concoction a true mess.Swirl, twirl, stir, fold, spoon, fork, ladle, mix – do what you need to do to make it a true cold mess!

(7) Devour.This step needs no explanation.

Thanks for joining in on my yog mess tutorial today! I hope each and every one of you (flexitarian, vegetarian, vegan – hey, there is soy yogurt!) learned something. If you do create a yummy looking yog mess, please send it to me at healthyeverythingtarian@gmail.com. I would love to see (and possibly eat) everything you’ve learned today in action!

I hope our dear Angharad is having a yee-haw of a time in Austin – until next time, take care y’all!

Holly

guest post: putting your twist on things

October 11, 2009

Hi everyone! I’m Katharina from Katharina’s Food Adventures. I recently had the honor of being asked by Angharad herself if I could write up a guest post. Of course I could! Now what could I write about? I didn’t want to bore you all, so I thought I’d get a little creative and maybe inspire some of you to do the same. Here goes!

Since I can remember I’ve always been asking myself “what if”. In fact, when I was younger, people called me the “what if girl”. I’m not sure if it was a good thing back then, but I carried that title proudly. Still living up to it today, when it’s time to eat my mind races through flavors, ingredients, and the ever-present question, “what if”. What could I add to really make this meal pop?

Exhibit A)

Rather than making this grilled cheese with cheddar alone, I added some mango chutney. If you’ve been reading my blog then you know that this is my favorite grilled cheese!

Exhibit B)

I wondered what it would be like to make French toast with crumpets. I spiced it up with freshly ground cardamom and cinnamon. Pour on the maple syrup, dust on some confectioner’s sugar and voila!

Exhibit C)

One day my mom really wanted me to make huevos ranchers while I was visiting. (Hey mom shouldn’t you be cooking for me?! Just kidding!) I only had a couple ingredients on hand so I improvised. Since we didn’t have tortillas I baked some homemade polenta to a crisp. So if you don’t have something on hand you can always pull a MacGyver.

Exhibit D)

The muse of this dish was my very first kabocha squash! It was a mission just finding one, so I knew I wanted to make something special but with an Asian flair. I steamed the kabocha, boiled some edamame, cubed a mango, and toasted coconut shreds. Then I whipped up a dressing: coconut oil, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and rice vinegar. This covered so many kinds of flavors it was awesome!
Now because it’s always a great idea to end on a sweet note, I’ll leave you all with this to feast your eyes on:

This nighttime snack was delicious and unusual! What is it? Mashed kabocha with cinnamon and coconut oil mixed in. Then I crumbled a slice of freshly baked Pumpkin bread and vanilla fro-yo. My crazy curious taste buds did it again!

I wrote this in one of my posts a long time ago, but I think it’s very appropriate to how I cook: “Just think about what flavors you want to come out, and taste as you go.” Try it out folks; think of all the possibilities! Who knows what wonderful concoctions you will whip up. Maybe you’ll end up making the best BBQ sauce ever because you put a dash of creativity in it; do I hear the word patent? Just follow the motto from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, “the secret of life? The secret’s in the sauce.”

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