Saturday, October 31, 2009
Trader Joe's Artichoke and Spinach Dip
The dip was watery and the spinach and artichoke were chopped up so small that I felt like I was eating baby food. I could also really tell that the vegetables were frozen-which I absolutely hate. The cheese was bland, and it was too thin in some parts, and way too thick in others. Gross. I definitely would not recommend this to anyone.
Grade: D
Friday, October 30, 2009
Soup + 1/2 Sandwich Special at Whole Foods
The soup had whole chunks of tomatoes in it, and was well seasoned with basil. There wasn't as much meat on the sandwich as I would have hoped, but it was still absolutely amazing. The meat was so fresh, as were the tomato and lettuce. The basil mayonnaise was light and refreshing, as was the sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. For $7, the portion and quality of the meal was amazing! I'm definitely going to go back to try back a different combination soon.
Grade: A-
Trader Joe's Orange Glazed Chicken
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Havana Central
I started with the sandwich, which smelled delicious. Sadly, it had gotten pretty soggy with the long wait time and I had to pop it in the toaster for a second. This solved the problem, and the rest of the sandwich was pretty good. The bread was sweat and soft, and the cheese was melted to perfection. No complaints! The rice and beans were decent- but under seasoned. I mixed in some onion and chili and garlic powder that I had around, and this immediately pepped it up. My lunch from Havana Central was decent, but I am still searching for the best Cuban sandwich in New York. If you all any tips, let me know!
Address: Union Square location 22 East 17th Street(between Broadway & 5th Aves)
Phone: 212 414-4999
Average Lunch Price: $9-13
Grade: B
Dumpling Man
I took my first bite- and was a little confused. The dough part of the dumpling was too thick and soggy, the pork inside had the consistency of wet cat food, and there was no ginger to speak of. Somehow though, it managed to taste alright! I tried it with Sriracha sauce, the "dumpling sauce", and the vinegar sauce. The Sriracha was too spicy for me, but I liked the dumping sauce and the vinegar-they were a nice tart balance to the sweetness of the pork and dough. Halfway through, I discovered the ginger-which was only a few measly strips. While I wasn't super excited by my experience at The Dumpling Man, it wasn't awful and it really filled me up.
Address:100 St Marks Pl New York, NY 10009
Phone number:(212) 505-2121
Average Price: $4-6 piece, $6-10 piece
Grade: C
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Ashom Thang
Here it goes!
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon butter (or use oil if preferred)
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
* 1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
* 1 tomato, chopped
* 1 square (12 oz.) firm tofu
* 3 cobs fresh corn and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or one 15-oz. can creamed corn and 1/2 cup frozen (or canned) whole kernel corn, drained
* 4 cups water
* 1 green onion, chopped
Directions
Sauté the onion in butter or oil in a soup pot until brown and soft.Add the paprika, garlic, and ginger and cook briefly.Add the tomato and the tofu, cut into small cubes, along with the water.If using fresh corn, cut it from the cob and add it to the pot, along with the cornstarch mixed in a little extra water. If using canned and/or frozen corn, add them both now.Bring to a boil, and simmer for a minute, stirring to prevent sticking.Sprinkle chopped green onion on each serving
I made a few alterations when I made it by pureeing the finished soup, substituting the green onion for cilantro, and adding a light amount of lemon juice right before eating. I find that this makes the soup more refreshing and less earthy, but it really is just a matter of personal preference. The soup turned out really well,even though it was slightly sweeter than I expected. The paprika and lemon perfectly complimented the corn flavor, making for a soup that was refreshing yet filling at the same time. The soup was great, but I don't think I'll make it again for myself at home. It didn't reheat well, and it was a little too expensive to just cook for one meal, and one person. If I'm ever cooking dinner for a soup lover though, I'll definitely bring this recipe back out.
Total Price: $6
Grade: B- (pricey,lengthy cooking time)
El Moderno
The pancakes were fluffy and topped with powdered sugar, and the fruit salad on the side was generously portioned and fresh.
I didn’t get a chance to try the steak burrito, but both of my friends said that it was well seasoned, perfectly cooked, and all around amazing!
I would definitely come back to El Moderno for brunch; the food was great and the price and location are definitely right!
Address: 519 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn 11211
Phone: (718) 384-6429
Average Price: $10 for any brunch item (includes coffee, tea, or alcoholic beverage)
Grade:B
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Trader Joe's Tempura Chicken
To start, I recommend pairing this with Trader Joe’s microwavable rice (3.99) if you’re looking to make a quick meal. There’s nothing worse than waiting 25 minutes for rice to cook when you’re starving-and this solves the problem. (cook time is just under 4 minutes)
I chose to deep fry the chicken, partially because I am from the South and have a weakness for all things deep fried, and partially because tempura is a traditionally fried dish. The sauce comes in a bag, which I recommend transferring to a small tuperware container if you are planning to make this dish multiple times ( each bag has about 4 large servings.) I microwaved the frozen sauce alongside the rice for the last 30seconds of cook time, and they both came out fully heated. I deep fried the chicken for 4 minutes. Honestly, I haven’t had better tempura chicken in any restaurant I have been to. The sauce was tangy and light, and the chicken was crispy and tender-it didn’t taste as though it had been frozen at all. At only about 4 minutes cooking time- Trader Joe’s Tempura Chicken is an easy and delicious choice for dinner or lunch.
Curry Heaven
The mango lassi in particular was huge-they had filled up a whole soup container with it! It was so fresh that I honestly think they may have pureed the mango in the back while I waited-amazing! The chicken curry was decent, but I was hoping it would have had a little bit more spice in it. I'm sure if I had asked they would have been able to do that though, so I don't fault the restaraunt. Otherwise, the flavors were all powerful and amazing-and the chicken was tender and juicy. I have to go back and try more of the entrees, but I was overall very pleased with my experience at Curry Heaven.
Address: 513 Grand St. Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-388-3021
Typical Entree Price: $7 for Vegetarian, $9 for Meat
Grade: B
Yola's Cafe
It took me longer than it should have to try out Yola’s seeing as I live 5 blocks away, but damn am I glad I did! Somehow New York, the city that has everything, manages to be almost entirely devoid of good Mexican food. With my discovery of Yola’s though, my search for a decent Mexican was finally over. I ordered the Carne soft taco (3.00) which came loaded with guacamole, onions, and cilantro.
The guacamole was creamy and fresh, and the steak was incredibly tender. I was hoping the seasoning on it would be stronger-but this was quickly remedied by a dash of both the red and green salsas, which were smoky tasting and amazing! My friend ordered the carne enchilada hard taco(3.00)-which was a spicier, saltier version of what I got and came with sour cream and cheese.
I loved the meat, but missed the guacamole, which only comes with the soft tacos. Still hungry- we decided to order another round. We both opted for the carnita soft taco this time, which was equally as amazing as the carne.
The meat was slow cooked and again, incredibly tender. Yola’s is basic-you wont’t find anything fancy on the menu, but that is more than fine with me. If you ever find yourself around the Lorimer stop off the L train, I recommend stopping in at Yola’s-you won’t be disappointed!
Address: 524 Metropolitan Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211
Phone: 718-486-0757
Average Price: $3 for tacos/fajitas/tostadas, $8-10 for entrees