So Much For South Beach

I've been meaning to get back onto the South Beach Diet for a couple of weeks but MH and I got into a cooking at home kick and of course cooking at home isn't as much fun when you're trying to be healthy.

Thursday Dinner Menu

-Buffalo Sirloin

-Mashed Potatoes

-Garlic Green Beans

Friday Dinner Menu

-Hawaiian Style Pork Ribs (Aloha Seasoning & Pineapple Juice Marinade)

-Iceberg Salad

-Baked Beans

-Corn Bread

-Fruit Salad

Saturday Breakfast Menu

-Buttermilk Belgium Waffles with Berries & Ice Cream

Saturday Dinner Menu

-Fried Chicken

-Corn

-Mashed Potatoes

-Corn Bread

Going on a diet always seems like a better idea next week anyways. After all, you only live once.

Labor Day Weekend in NYC

I had to work in NJ the week after Labor Day, so MH and I decided to do a weekend trip to NYC. Luckily, we had fabulous weather and it was a beautiful day for sightseeing.

We did a bunch of touristy stuff the first day we were there and visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Empire State Building. To conclude our day we went to Peter Lugar's to try New York's #1 rated steak house for the past 24 years in a row.

MH and I must admit, that the quality of the meat is top notch, but since they just salt and sear the steak we thought we have had better tasting steaks at home. I think my personal favorite is still Mastro's.

Our second day in the city was a complete eat-a-thon. We started at Katz's Deli for their signature pastrami sandwich...

stopped into Bisous Ciao for some macarons, Balthazar Bakery, Lombardi's for their margherita pizza...

the Big Gay Ice Cream shop for some soft serve, and finished our day at the Momofuku Noodle Bar!

Momofuku Ramen

Of all of the restaurants, MH and I were most impressed with the Momufuku Noodle Bar and thought it was the only restaurant that fully lived up to all of its hype. I had the most delicious lychee slushie and all of the dishes we had were terrific.

The next day, we stopped into Eataly for lunch, headed off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, enjoyed an afternoon cookie snack at Levain Bakery, and then had Shake Shack for dinner.

Shake Shack Soda, Rocky Road Shake, Cheeseburger & Shack Burger

(From Left to Right)

Originally we had thought we could go to the Shake Shack for lunch but when we got to the Madison Square Park location the line was out of control and we decided that it would be much easier to grab something from Eataly. After we went to Levain Bakery, we were conveniently close to the Shake Shack on Columbus and 77th and we decided that the 15 minute line there was manageable. MH had the cheeseburger and I had the shack burger (without tomatoes, of course) and while both burgers were delicious, we were surprised by how small they were considering the price. The potato bread bun was a nice touch, but we both still prefer In-N-Out.

On our last day, we visited the Museum of Modern Art, enjoyed a frozen treat from Laboratorio del Gelato, had a late lunch at Republic, and then headed off to the airport so MH could catch his flight home and I could pick up my rental car for the week.

Times Square

NYC was another great trip to add to our memory book. Shout out to JR for all of his hospitality! You were a fabulous host and hope you also enjoyed our city adventuring.

More Things To Eat

Since I last blogged about Jonathan Gold's article (refer to my Things To Eat post), a friend told me about a list of 100 Things You Should Try Before You Die in San Francisco (shout out to Ophs for the tip!) by 7x7.com. The list is driven solely by diners opinions and MH and I would have to agree with the items we've had so far.

Checked off the list:

• Morning Bun at Tartine Bakery
• Crab with Cellophane Noodles at The Slanted Door
• Porchetta Sandwich at Roli Roti
• Pizza Margherita at Pizzeria Delfina
• Salumi Misti Plate at Perbacco
• Tuna Tartare and a Gin Martini at Bix
• Salty Caramel Ice Cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

Over the weekend, MH and I took a road trip to the bay area and while we were there I found something thing that I would add to the list, a Reaper Bun from OctoberFeast Bakery. It was explained to me as something like a caramelized morning bun, but even as delicious as that sounds I think the actual thing is better. I imagine that the obscene amounts of butter and sugar used to make these delicious treats are what gives them their name, so they are definitely not a good fit for palettes sensitive to sugar overload. However, I would eat one or two in a sitting the next time I have the chance. I made the mistake of eating half to save the rest for later and the next day it just wasn't the same.

French Bread From A Vending Machine

Last week, the Associated Press shed light on a 24-hour vending machine in France that sells baguettes! You can read about it HERE and watch a video to see how it works HERE. I hope they make it over to the states. They are too cool!

Mmmmmm Donuts!

If you are ever in Glendora, or would like to make a slight detour on your way to Las Vegas like we did, you can stop at Donut Man and pick up one of these delightful fresh strawberry donuts!

It is the child of a fresh strawberry pie and a donut, the donut is split and filled with a generous portion of glazed strawberries. Boy oh boy is it good. Donut Man also offers a variety of other donuts as well. MH picked up a tiger tail (a donut twisted with chocolate) that he enjoyed and depending on the time of year, fresh peach donuts are available too.

The Apple Pan

Last week, MH and I headed over to the Apple Pan. If you live in Los Angeles, I'm sure you have seen it before, it is the cute little house with the giant Apple Pan sign on Pico Boulevard across the street from the Westside Pavilion shopping mall.

The restaurant is very quaint, with a counter seating no more than 25 some odd people at a time, and its interior design was the inspiration for the Johnny Rockets restaurant franchise.

MH ordered the Steak Burger with cheese (left), I ordered the Hickory Burger (right) and we split an order of fries. While the burgers and fries were tasty I thought the atmosphere was really what made the restaurant a gem. The Apple Pan is the kind of place where you feel like a regular even if it's your first time there. The waiters pour your ketchup, pull you extra napkins, and slide you an extra plate without you having to ask. All of their years of experience let them know what you need without you having to say a word.

It's a nice change in pace from having to flag down your aspiring actor/actress aka waiter/waitress to ask for a place setting to eat your meal or your check so you can pay and leave. Again, if you live in Los Angeles, I'm sure you know what I mean.

Things To Eat

Last year, Jonathan Gold wrote an article titled '99 Things to Eat in Los Angeles Before You Die' and after living in Los Angeles for 5+ years MH and I figured we should take advantage of our time here and start checking things off of the list.

Since the list includes "fugu to foie gras, pizza to panuchos" I doubt we'll make it all the way through. However, we've already been to over dozen of the places listed so we are off to a pretty good start!

Checked Off The List:

• Tito's Old School Tacos
• Langer's Hot Pastrami
• Casa Bianca's Pizza
• Kogi's Kalbi Taco
• El Tepeyac Burrito
• Philippe's French Dip
• Hot Dog on a Stick
• Akasha
• Oki Dog
• Mozza Pizza
• Lawry's Prime Rib
• Campanile's Grilled Prime Rib
• Border Grill's Green Corn Tamales
• Nickel Diner Maple Bacon Donut
• Bay Cities Godmother
• Bludso's Brisket

Falling With Style

Much to my surprise, MH and I went skydiving for my birthday! Cross another thing off of our bucket list, 2011 is going to be a hard year for us to beat.

MH and I All Geared Up And Ready To Go

The whole experience was truly something else. Since we did tandem jumps, we didn't have to worry about any of the technical details (e.g. pulling the rip cord for our parachute to open or landing safely). However, gathering the courage to jump out of the plane at 12,500 feet was a big enough challenge for me. Despite being a frequent flier, 12,500 feet feels much different when you are expected to launch yourself out of the plane.

After experiencing skydiving once, my favorite part of the jump were those few seconds after my tandem jumper and I left the plane. I don't know how to describe it but I would definitely do it again. I think there are a few other activities on the list to do first though so we'll just have to wait and see what our next adventure is.

A Lot Of Lattes

I've never been an avid coffee drinker. On occasion, I enjoy a white chocolate mocha or caramel macciatto to get my sugar fix, but I never drink a straight cup of coffee. I recently discovered that my quick morning pick me up is a hot tea latte.

In Africa and my recent work trips abroad, I became fond of drinking tea with breakfast, in the mid-afternoon, and after dinner, so when I returned home I decided to continue the routine. To indulge my new habit, MH convinced me to get a Capresso froth pro automatic milk frother and it has quickly become my most used kitchen gadget.

While my tea steeps, I pour some milk into the Capresso and in a quick couple minutes I have beautifully frothed milk for a tea latte. Finding the perfect ratio of tea, sugar, and milk took a couple of tries but I think I got it. So far, my favorite creation has been my earl grey tea lattes. Yum!

Pop Goes My Tart

I don't recall how or why I decided to make home made pop tarts. Making pop tarts from scratch is definitely not cost effective considering it took me several of hours to make them and you can purchase a box of eight from the grocery store for less than $3. However, it was a fun activity and I would do it again because they were such a delicious morning treat. They may just have to be rectangles/circles instead of animals to make the production time a little more reasonable.

Home Made Strawberry Compote Filled Pop Tarts

Shout out to T&J for MH and my new Silpat. It came in handy when I was making these suckers! We hope you enjoyed your pop tart samples.