Keep Calm and Carry On: The Diary of Foodie and Gourmet

Hello all! Hope everyone is well! I am back from London and am in the midst of trying to return to a state of normalcy. I've been trying to collect my thoughts and share some of my adventures with you all, but to be honest, I've been quite ill and unable to do so. While in the UK, my family ventured out into the Peak District, which was gorgeo us and picturesque. We had some fantastic meals, visited some gorgeous manor houses, and explored the English countryside.  In our countryside travels, it seems that I may have picked up an unwanted visitor at a pub somewhere. On our return to London, I was feeling a bit poorly -- icky stomach, loss of appetite, etc... and that culminated with a bad case of the chills. I tend to always be warm, but I was shivering, layered, hiding under the bed covers, and had the thermostat up to 80F. It was NOT fun.  My last two days in London were ok. The shivers were gone, but my appetite was just not there. Bummer. The real problem started whe...

Hello All! Just wanted to let you know that I will be in London for two weeks, so I will be unable to blog. I'll be taking lots of pictures and will have lots of stories and foods to share when I return though! ;D Stay tuned!!!!!! Here are some old pics from my last visit to London. Think of it as a preview of posts to come! Afternoon tea, Borough Market, fine dining...can't wait to share with you all! Afternoon Tea at Brown's (2009) This is the BEST place to have afternoon tea in ALL OF LONDON Huge selection of pies at Borough Market (2009) Fresh game at Borough Market (2009) My favorite curry stall at Borough Market As you can see, I'm sort of obsessed with Borough Market. Probably one of my top favorite places in all of London. If you haven't been, GO! You'll love it! Especially if you love food.

As you may recall, for the past week or so, my mother has been in Japan. Her reason is a very grim one. My grandmother passed away at age 90, so mom returned to be with her family. I really wanted to go, but sadly, due to inflexible academic commitments, was unable to. As you can imagine, Mom's trip to Japan was not a very pleasant one...To welcome her home and show her how much we love her, I surprised her by baking one of her favorite treats: matcha macarons with cream cheese filling.  My mom is a macaron-aholic. She is a bit of a picky eater when it comes to sweets, but when I bake these, she can single handedly disappear them all! I think another reason why she likes these macarons so much is because they have a distinct Japanese flare. Matcha (green tea) and adzuki (red bean paste) are quintessential components of many Japanese desserts. For anyone who would like to make these delightful green morsels, I give to you the recipe. I originally found it on foodgawker.c...

Last night for dinner, my dad defrosted some venison steaks that were given to him by a patient. I was then given the task to come up with a way to cook them. Very Top Chef. After searching the internet for an hour or two, I found a really delicious recipe: Pan-Seared Venison with Polenta in a Red Wine Sauce. Yum! A really delicious and easy way to enjoy venison! Sorry Bambi... Ingredients: - Venison steaks (up to you how many) - red wine, generous dash - stock (chicken or vegetable), 1/4 cup - 1 pre-made polenta round - shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup - herbes de provence, to taste - salt/pepper, to taste - garlic, minced For the Cheesy Polenta:  1. Heat some olive oil in a deep saucepan. Once it is hot, add the polenta. I used a masher to mash it up in the pan.  2. Once the polenta is soft and has a mashed potato-like consistency, add the cheese and seasonings. Season to taste.  Viola! For the Venison Steaks: 1. Season the steaks w...

Dad and I visited another old-school Jewish Lower East Side institution: Russ & Daughters. I'll be honest, I only learned about this amazing store last year when I watched Anthony Bourdain, as this shop was featured on the same episode as Katz's. My goodness, how did I go so long without this place?! 179 E. Houston St, Lower East Side, NYC Like Katz's, Russ & Daughters has been around for almost 100 years. Although the store opened in 1914, before that, the founder (Joel Russ), had a pushcart. Like Zabars, Russ & Daughters specializes in old world classics like smoked salmon (lox), caviar, herring, and much much more! The store is incredibly small and narrow. When you walk in, you are just hit with the smell of smoked fish. The decor and layout is so old school, that I don't think it has changed for decades! Lots of linoleum. As soon as my dad walked in, he was like a kid in a candy store. His eyes widen and if allowed, I think he would've b...

Yesterday, my father drove into Manhattan for two reasons. 1) To collect me, as I would be spending the remainder of my summer at home and 2) to have a "father-daughter" Jewish afternoon. My dad is a nice Jewish boy, born and raised on Long Island. To fulfill a major stereotype, he went on to become a surgeon, something my grandmother loved to mention at parties. You know, "my son, the surgeon..." That old chestnut. At home, we eat mostly Japanese, which is fine by me and dad, however, sometimes, you just get a craving for a bagel and lox or a pastrami sandwich. Ya know?! Well, with mom away and dad having to come pick me up, we saw this as a golden opportunity to finally sate our Jewish cravings. My parents have a "sort of timeshare" in Midtown, on the West Side and because of this, when dad craved his comfort food, we always went to Zabars. Also, being in Midtown, my parents and I never really went downtown, since it was a bit of a schlep. Now, all ...

To celebrate the conclusion of my dreaded calculus class, I met my best friend H for dinner at a local Japanese restaurant, "Ootoya." My uncle in Tokyo actually told me about this restauraunt. I believe that "Ootoya" originated in Tokyo and somehow my uncle got wind that they opened a branch in Manhattan. He is a fan of the one in Tokyo so he urged me to try the Manhattan one. Man am I glad that he told me about this place. It was totally delicious! This very trendy restaurant is really elegant and simple. The ambiance is casual and inviting. It also mixes classic Japanese materials and textures like shoji, but presents them in a modern way. Very very nice, in my opinion. Also, very nice flow. For a starter, H and I shared "Maguro Kimchee." Kind of interesting, no? I thought so. Essentially, it's bits of blue fin tuna chopped up and mixed with kim chee, okra, and natto (fermented soy bean). You are suppose to eat it with the lettuce. I thou...