I Am... Banh Tieu Recipe: The Vietnamese Donuts You Never Knew You Loved
It's National Donut Day! Last year I waffled up some donuts for a delicious hybrid wonut (waffle-donut) and this year I decide to go with a donut that you've probably never seen before: banh tieu, a deliciously deep-fried Vietnamese donut. Banh tieu, for the uninitiated, are slightly sweet, puffy, hollow donuts that are sprinkled with a generous amount of nutty sesame seeds. Fresh out of the fryer, they just can't be beat.
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I Am... Tokyo Food Guide: Where and What to Eat in Tokyo
So, you're planning on going to Tokyo? First off, congrats! I'm so jealous. Tokyo is one of my all time favorite cities. There is so much to do, so much to see, and most importantly, so much to eat. Tokyo has it all, from hole in the wall gyoza places to high-end Michelin sushi bars.Warning: this is a LONG post!
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I Am... How to make: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Wings
Nothing makes me happier than a GIANT plate of fried chicken. Especially if there are fries on the side. I indulge in fried chicken probably way more than I should, but I cannot get over how delicious it is. I mean, there's a reason why every single culture out there has it's own version. I definitely wouldn't turn my nose up at Southern-style, Japanese (chicken katsu, toriten, karaage), Korean (triple-fried and either sweet or super spicy), Taiwanese (salt and pepper crispy popcorn bites)...I could go on, but I should probably stop before I get too hungry. But, now that I think about it, why are almost all the fried chickens I mentioned Asian? Do Asians just really really love fried chicken or is it just that I think of Asian chicken when I think of fried chicken?
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I Am... Vietnamese Braised Beef Tacos
Are you guys fans of throwing dinner parties? I absolutely LOVE having people over for dinner. Mike, on the other hand, isn't such a fan. He thinks I get a little too crazy with the prep and planning. So I've started to scale it back and throw more casual get togethers. I get to cook, friends and family get to eat, and everyone's happy.
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I Am... How to Make Basic, Great Chocolate Chip Cookies
I recently got a sunny yellow background for photos and I've been playing around with it – something about yellow makes me absurdly happy. Which is funny because Mike has a yellow car, but I've been after him to paint it white. People are always waving us down while we're in it; they think we're a taxi even though our car looks nothing like a taxi. But that's not the real reason I want him to paint it. It's because bugs are absurdly attracted to what appears to them to be a giant yellow flower. I have fear of insects. I always say I'll get over it and be a real grown up, but so far, no dice.
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I Am... Friday Finds 5.22.14
May is passing by in a flash! So far it's been full of birthday cake, barbecues, watermelon and general lounging out in the sun. Mike came up with the brilliant idea of putting astroturf on our balcony and I've been hanging out on our "lawn" every day. It's awesome because if I feel like having a little picnic, the "grass" is right there. I used to think astroturf was super tacky, but the stuff that we found is lush and really looks like grass, albeit really uniform green grass. You can take a peek of it on my Instagram if you're interested.
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I Am... Peking Duck Poutine
Do you love duck? How about french fries? How about duck and french fries and cheese curds and gravy!? If you said a resounding yes, we can be friends! If you're thinking, meh, doesn't sound that great, have a bite of this peking duck poutine and you'll change your tune.
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I Am... Superfood Chocolate Coconut Pancakes
Picture the perfect brunch scene: fluffy pancakes patiently waiting for syrup to rain down. The coffee's hot, the pancakes are golden, the whipping cream is cool, and the syrup is warmed. Your knife slides effortlessly into the tender little rounds and you just know you're in for a treat. To me, there's nothing more decadent than a plate of pancakes, piled high, topped with softly whipped cream. I don't even need syrup, especially if there's fruit and chocolate involved.
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I Am... How to make the Ultimate Cheese Platter
I have an obsession with cheese, especially cheese made from 100% Canadian milk – it's one of my favorite things to eat and I almost always have at least three kinds of cheese in the fridge. I find it adds that extra bit of oomph to everything. And while it's a great in recipes and between two slices of bread, what makes my heart swoon, whenever I see one, is a fancy cheese platter. Fancy cheese platters mean that I can make cheese into a whole meal and in my books, nothing could be better.
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I Am... A Little (Big) Bite out of New York
Mike and I have been back from NYC for a couple of days now and I've got to say, as much as the city was a ton of fun, I'm happy to be home. My tummy is happy to be home too – I think I stuffed it past the point of reason! We walked everywhere (even across the Williamsburg Bridge a couple of times), visited a couple of our old haunts and even found some new favorites.
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I Am... Breakfast Tater Totchos with Sunny Quail Eggs, Avocado & Chicken
It appears that tater tots are a thing right now. But to me, they've just always been one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. I'm not picky about my potato consumption. I like potatoes in all ways and forms. I'm in no ways a potato snob. In fact, I'm quite the opposite, more like a equal opportunist potato lover. Baked, boiled, fried, mashed, smashed, roasted...I could go on, but I think you get the point: I love potatoes.
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I Am... Friday Finds: 5.8.15
I say this at the beginning of every month, but I'm going to say it again: I can't believe it's May! When I was a kid it seemed like the months took forever to finish, but now they're just flying by. May is always a super busy month for me. It's chockfull of birthdays and celebrations, lots of food and too much cake, if there is such a thing as too much cake...
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