Thursday, July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Calling All Foodies!!!!
Hey everyone!!!
I am going to Singapore in November, so I have been researching like crazy to find the best places to eat and the coolest things to do. However, I want YOUR help!!! Do you have any tips as to where to go, what to eat and what to see? I know that Singapore is one of the most food-obsessed cities in the world, so help out a fellow foodie! It would be absolutely amazing if I can have some ideas from y'all!
Alison
I am going to Singapore in November, so I have been researching like crazy to find the best places to eat and the coolest things to do. However, I want YOUR help!!! Do you have any tips as to where to go, what to eat and what to see? I know that Singapore is one of the most food-obsessed cities in the world, so help out a fellow foodie! It would be absolutely amazing if I can have some ideas from y'all!
Alison
Obsessed!
Meet my new obsession!
I've heard of drinking chicory and I have seen it a lot in French supermarkets. But, I had this impression in my mind that it was an acquired taste (a.k.a. kind of disgusting). So, alas, it was passed by and coffee and tea was drunk instead.
A few days ago, I decided to live a little. And by live a little, I mean buy a jar of instant chicory powder. Since it was only 2 euro, I figured it was worth a try.
Oh, was it worth it. Acquired taste? What acquired taste?! After dissolving a tablespoon in a cup of boiling water, I knew I was in love. This magical liquid tastes a bit like coffee, but with strong caramel overtones. Yes, caramel.
Comes to find out, chicory drink actually has a host of positive health benefits too. There is no caffeine, so it is a great choice for those wishing to drink less coffee. It contains a host of antioxidants and other good stuff like probiotics and inulin. Get this-since it increases the production of bile, it might even help with the metabolism of fats!!!
If you happen to see chicory, pick it up and let me know what you think!
I've heard of drinking chicory and I have seen it a lot in French supermarkets. But, I had this impression in my mind that it was an acquired taste (a.k.a. kind of disgusting). So, alas, it was passed by and coffee and tea was drunk instead.
A few days ago, I decided to live a little. And by live a little, I mean buy a jar of instant chicory powder. Since it was only 2 euro, I figured it was worth a try.
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| Nectar of the gods. |
Comes to find out, chicory drink actually has a host of positive health benefits too. There is no caffeine, so it is a great choice for those wishing to drink less coffee. It contains a host of antioxidants and other good stuff like probiotics and inulin. Get this-since it increases the production of bile, it might even help with the metabolism of fats!!!
If you happen to see chicory, pick it up and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
80 Bites Recipes: Pasta Alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a pasta dish I first had in the Sicilian city of Catania. I remember the meal exactly: the table started off with marinated shrimp and salmon, then we had pasta alla Norma, and for our secondi, we had horse. (Horse meat is quite popular in Sicily, so yeah, I tried it.) The restaurant had a fantastic house wine to accompany our meal and left us a whole wedge of ricotta salata so we could cover our pasta in a pristine white cloud of deliciousness.
Can't I go back?
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Pasta alla Norma
1 1/2 cups of dry pasta (You can use any shape, but in my opinion, shorter shapes like farfalle, fusilli, and penne work the best.)
1 can died tomatoes
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
salt to taste
5 tablespoons sea salt
copious amounts of ricotta salata cheese (This is some-what a speciality cheese, but it can be found in many supermarkets. It is a heavily salted ricotta that has had excess water drained so it is compact and grate-able.)
basil
Start by cutting the eggplant up into small chunks, slightly larger than (gambling) dice. Put in a bowl and cover with salt for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pat the eggplant cubes dry with a paper towel.
In a large pan, heat 1/4 of a cup of vegetable oil. Once hot, throw in the eggplant. Since eggplant absorb so much oil, you may need to add in more vegetable oil. Cook for around 15 minutes or until eggplant is nice and browned. Transfer cooked eggplant to a baking dish or plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. When the water starts to boil, add in sea salt. Add in your pasta. Don't forget to set a timer for how long the pasta is supposed to cook!
At the same time as your pasta is cooking, you can quickly prepare the tomato sauce. Smash the two cloves of garlic with something heavy. Throw those into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Let that heat up and once the garlic turns golden, remove it from the oil. Empty the can of died tomatoes into the saucepan with oil and let that simmer for about 7 minutes. Add in the eggplant. Taste for salt, but remember that the ricotta salata, is, as the name implies, salty.
Now, grab any heat resistant container and ladle in about one cup of the boiling, salted water that the pasta is cooking in. Then strain the pasta once it has cooked for ONE MINUTE LESS than the cooking time stated on the box. (i.e. If the box says 10 minutes, let it cook for 9.) Then, put the pasta back in the large pot and combine with the sauce. Quickly put the pot back on the burner and cook for another minute while stirring all the time. (If you notice the pasta is absorbing lots of sauce and sticking to the bottom of the pot, you can now add small amounts of the cooking water I told you to put aside.)
Serve the pasta into dishes and grate, baby, grate that ricotta salata over the top. Top with basil and enjoy this typical Sicilian pasta.
This recipe should amply serve two. I paired this with a 2013 Anthilia from the Sicilian winemaker Donnafugata to keep with the Sicilian theme! Please, please try this recipe because it is so delicious and pretty easy, and if you do, let me know how you like it!
Can't I go back?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Pasta alla Norma
1 1/2 cups of dry pasta (You can use any shape, but in my opinion, shorter shapes like farfalle, fusilli, and penne work the best.)
1 can died tomatoes
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
salt to taste
5 tablespoons sea salt
copious amounts of ricotta salata cheese (This is some-what a speciality cheese, but it can be found in many supermarkets. It is a heavily salted ricotta that has had excess water drained so it is compact and grate-able.)
basil
Start by cutting the eggplant up into small chunks, slightly larger than (gambling) dice. Put in a bowl and cover with salt for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pat the eggplant cubes dry with a paper towel.
In a large pan, heat 1/4 of a cup of vegetable oil. Once hot, throw in the eggplant. Since eggplant absorb so much oil, you may need to add in more vegetable oil. Cook for around 15 minutes or until eggplant is nice and browned. Transfer cooked eggplant to a baking dish or plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. When the water starts to boil, add in sea salt. Add in your pasta. Don't forget to set a timer for how long the pasta is supposed to cook!
At the same time as your pasta is cooking, you can quickly prepare the tomato sauce. Smash the two cloves of garlic with something heavy. Throw those into a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Let that heat up and once the garlic turns golden, remove it from the oil. Empty the can of died tomatoes into the saucepan with oil and let that simmer for about 7 minutes. Add in the eggplant. Taste for salt, but remember that the ricotta salata, is, as the name implies, salty.
Now, grab any heat resistant container and ladle in about one cup of the boiling, salted water that the pasta is cooking in. Then strain the pasta once it has cooked for ONE MINUTE LESS than the cooking time stated on the box. (i.e. If the box says 10 minutes, let it cook for 9.) Then, put the pasta back in the large pot and combine with the sauce. Quickly put the pot back on the burner and cook for another minute while stirring all the time. (If you notice the pasta is absorbing lots of sauce and sticking to the bottom of the pot, you can now add small amounts of the cooking water I told you to put aside.)
Serve the pasta into dishes and grate, baby, grate that ricotta salata over the top. Top with basil and enjoy this typical Sicilian pasta.
This recipe should amply serve two. I paired this with a 2013 Anthilia from the Sicilian winemaker Donnafugata to keep with the Sicilian theme! Please, please try this recipe because it is so delicious and pretty easy, and if you do, let me know how you like it!
Monday, July 28, 2014
Now this is coffee!
Have a look at my favorite coffee when I visit the city of Ventimiglia, right across the border from France. It's called an americano, which is more or less normal American coffee. They serve an expresso with hot water and hot milk in separate little pots so you can customize your cuppa. In my opinion, it is way more flavorful and rich than traditional filter coffee and definitely better than americanos from chains like Starbucks, et. al. (Not to mention the fact that I absolutely adore the stylish black cups they serve it in.) Try one and let me know!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Da Michele in Naples, Italy
Eating pizza in Naples, Italy, is a given. This is where pizza was invented and this is where pizza has been perfected. There are countless pizzerias in the city; there is literally one on almost every street corner. However, there is one that stands apart. Da Michele.
Since 1870, this pizzeria has stood in the middle of the busy city of Naples and is considered THE essential pizzeria. There are no reservations, rather you are given a number and then you wait. And wait. I've waited much longer than an hour so many times just to eat their amazing pizza. Once inside, you haven't escaped the chaos of Napoli. Tourists try to navigate the packed restaurant with cameras in hand. The waiters never stop moving, since the demand for pizza never stops. Pizzaioli are constantly making and baking. What do you expect, this is Naples!
Oh, one small detail I may have forgotten. They only make two different kinds of pizza. The first pizza is the margherita, the classic cheese pizza. Take it to the next level and ask for it with "doppio formaggio," or double cheese. The second choice is the marinara, which has red sauce, oregano, and garlic. Both are the best I've ever eaten. Served hot out of the wood-burning oven, this pizza is unlike any other. The crust is chewy with an incredible flavor and there is the perfect ratio of sauce to dough to cheese. And it's cheap! The huge pizzas cost less than 5 euro each, and I guarantee you will be satisfied after one.
Of course, I have a few different pizzerias that I love in Naples, each for their own reasons. But Da Michele is different. Da Michele is Da Michele. It's an institution, a classic, and in my opinion serves the best pizza in the world. Go and try it and let me know what you think!
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| Yours truly awaiting the first bite of Da Michele perfection. |
Oh, one small detail I may have forgotten. They only make two different kinds of pizza. The first pizza is the margherita, the classic cheese pizza. Take it to the next level and ask for it with "doppio formaggio," or double cheese. The second choice is the marinara, which has red sauce, oregano, and garlic. Both are the best I've ever eaten. Served hot out of the wood-burning oven, this pizza is unlike any other. The crust is chewy with an incredible flavor and there is the perfect ratio of sauce to dough to cheese. And it's cheap! The huge pizzas cost less than 5 euro each, and I guarantee you will be satisfied after one.
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| Yes, I have been known to eat two pizzas in one sitting. Fatty. |
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