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

Last week, I was in the mood for salad, but at the same time, I wasn't. Weird, right? I guess I was feeling unhealthy, but at the same time, the thought of salad bored me. I sat for a few minutes, contemplating what kind of salad to make, when the lightbulb went off and I thought, "SOBA SALAD!" For those who may not know, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour and they are SUPER popular in Japan. Even though soba is technically a carbohydrate, and for those of us trying to lose weight, may be the enemy food, in fact soba noodles are quite healthy (within moderation). Soba contains eight essential amino acids (ex: lysine), its polysaccharide structure is easy to digest, it contains antioxidants (rutin & quercetin), and essential nutrients (choline, thiamine, & riboflavin)!  My mom absolutely loves soba and so does pretty much every Japanese person I know. You can eat them hot or cold, in a soup or with dipping sauce, or in a salad...frankly, you can

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending an art gallery reception in honor of my old high school art teacher, Mr. E. Well, I never had him for art, but I knew him very well from my days of volleyball playing --- he was my coach.  Even though it has been several years since I have seen Mr. E, we have remained friendly, so when I received an invitation from him to attend this soiree, I was so excited! Mr. E is a wonderful artist AND I have never been to a trendy NYC art gallery! First time for everything, right? Mr. E's art was on display at "Chashama" I was really impressed by the vast array of colors that were used. So beautiful!  The night is still young, but art lovers are flocking! The night was filled with more reunions! Whilst at the gallery, I got to catch up with old high school friends. These are people that I haven't seen in almost six years! It was great to rekindle friendships and catch up. What a wonderful evening! My favor

Ever since moving to Manhattan last summer, I have been hearing amazing things about this event in Brooklyn called "Smorgasburg". What is Smorgasburg? I'll tell you --- it's the greatest thing EVER! (Especially if you are a foodie, like me). Smorgasburg started in Williamsburg in 2011, as an extension of the Brooklyn Flea. Whereas the Brooklyn Flea is a giant form filled with hundreds of vendors, like antiques or furniture, Smorgasborg is the culinary counterpart. It is a giant food fair --- literally stalls of almost every cuisine you can think of! Heaven on earth....I think so.  As you can imagine, I have been itching to visit Smorgasbord, and that wish was finally fulfilled...sort of. I spent last weekend with my best friend, E, and she took me to a newer satellite Smorgasbord in DUMBO, rather than the original in Williamsburg. The one in DUMBO is a bit smaller and is in an open air abandoned building. The location is pretty cool and it's right on the

This past Labor Day my parents and I ventured into Manhattan to see the new film Austenland . Why did we go to Manhattan to see this? Two reasons. (1) We were returning my stuff to my apartment after a two week vacation and (2) this film is only playing in TWO movie theaters in Manhattan and NO WHERE by us in NJ! As avid Austen lovers, we were dying to see this film. Here is the trailer for those who may not be familiar:  Austenland Trailer . Austenland , which is based upon a book of the same title, revolves around Jane (Keri Russell) a single woman in her 30s and a die hard Austen fan --- she considers herself Austen's #1 fan. Jane spends all her money on a special trip to Austenland --- an all inclusive immersion into the world of Jane Austen and Georgian England. Here, Jane dresses the part of an Austen heroine, lives the life of a Georgian woman, and of course, finds romance! She also finds herself amidst a slew of hysterical and cringe-worthy situations! The amount of d

So, I don't consider myself a big hip-hop fan, but I absolutely LOVE Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Whilst I wish I could say that I knew them before they became super famous, I didn't.  I learned about them when their super catchy song " Thrift Shop " came out, but since that introduction, I can't stop listening to their album, The Heist.  I'll tell you right now, "Thrift Shop" is one of my all time favorite songs. How can you not smile when it comes on the radio? It's tongue and cheek, great to dance to, and just plain fun!!!! For those who may not be familiar with Macklemore (real name Ben Haggerty) and Ryan Lewis, they are a a hip hop duo from Seattle --- Mackelmore is the rapper, whilst Ryan Lewis is the producer. They are independent artists and frankly, I'm glad. By being an independent label, they have creative control and do not have to bend to the will of major record labels. Essentially, they don't have an obligation to put

Hello all! Can you believe that it is September already? My goodness how time flies!!! Just wanted to let you know that I will be posting more recipes and food related blogs soon. Just trying to get back into the rhythm of things. I am determined to try new recipes and if they are good, I'll get sure to share them with you! Summer organic chemistry derailed me a bit and I wasn't able to cook as much as I would have liked and when I did cook, I tended to stick to things that were fast and easy to make. New school year means new recipes, so keep checking! Thanks again for reading!

This past week, my parents and I were up at our cabin in upstate New York. Rather than cook dinner, we ventured into Hudson, to dine at a new restaurant called "Fish & Game". I don't know much about this place, but what I do know is that it was in the New York Times fairly recently and it received a glowing review. With this in mind, my family and I were eager to try this restaurant. The sign The restaurant The interior of the restaurant was interesting. It was like, "British hunting lodge meets Tim Burton." There was a lot of wood and stone, which gave you a hunting lodge feel, but then were were rich textures of red velvet, interesting chandeliers, and strange Burton-esque artwork. Also, lots of dead animals. The bar area Fireplace by the bar The foyer leading into the dining room Interesting engraving of a dead rooster... The GORGEOUS kitchen My parents and I started our meals with cocktails. My father ordered a rye ba