{wordless wednesday} Emo Boy at Emo Gas Station, Outside Dublin Ireland
Posted by admin on July 1st, 2009

Tags: dublin, emo, ireland
Posted in Europe Travel, WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS | No Comments »
Posted by admin on July 1st, 2009

Tags: dublin, emo, ireland
Posted in Europe Travel, WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 29th, 2009
I had a major popcorn craving the other day. I was in a big supermarket and couldn’t find regular popcorn- only microwave. In a HUGE store. That is a travesty because microwave popcorn has nothing on fresh-popped kernels from the stovetop. At any rate after hitting up a fancier store I bought some organic popcorn and set to work on handling that craving, and decided just to target all possible cravings in one go. Popcorn, check. Salt, check. Sugar, check.

I love things that are salty and sweet and I love popcorn and I love the way my Dad used to make caramel corn when I was a kid. All of those loves combined into this quick and easy combination. I have never liked caramel corn that was too sticky or crunchy so this method creates a palatable texture, takes less time, and uses 1 pot for everything.
Salty-Sweet Caramel Popcorn
Serves 2-4 for snacking.
Ingredients:
Method:
Tags: caramel, popcorn, salty, snack, sweet
Posted in ALL RECIPES, Appetizer + Snack Recipes, Fast and Easy Recipes | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 27th, 2009
This is one of my favorite posts from my previous blog… so I’m reposting it here while I’m on vacation! Enjoy!
I spent a long weekend in the Hamptons with my two very best girlfriends, Lori and Michelle, who sadly (for me) are two displaced California lasses who have decamped to New York City. The reason was ostensibly Lori’s bachelorette party, but it was really just an excuse to spend some quality time together.

I usually don’t make such fancy shmancy stuff, but this was an occasion that called for something special. Plus, I was excited for the opportunity to pick up some incredibly fresh local seafood and build a seasonal meal around it. This dish screams “springtime” and turned out fabulously well, if I do say so myself. And although it seems a little complicated, for me, at least- it was not so very much effort for such an impressive result. When I do buckle down and commit to a more complex or fussy meal, it is really exhilarating when it turns out well, because I sometimes fear that I’m losing my chichi cooking chops by tending almost always towards the simplest types of cooking. This was the first meal that I’ve cooked in quite some time that gave me that “yep, still got it” feeling.

I was loath to put up the recipe because I completely winged it, and don’t have exact measurements, but Lori and Michelle were really hoping to re-create the meal at home, so I’m summoning my best powers of memory and estimation to try and offer you a coherent recipe.

Seared Sea Scallops with Melted Ginger Leeks and Crispy Mushrooms
This is the amount I made for 3 people, but it could serve 2 or 4 if you just adjust the scallop amounts- the mushrooms and leeks will be an OK amount either way. I served it with asparagus risotto.
Ingredients:
Method:
Tags: ginger, hamptons, leeks, mushrooms, scallops, seafood, wainscott
Posted in ALL RECIPES, Fish + Seafood Recipes, Main Course Recipes, USA Travel (outside of CA) | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 26th, 2009
On my last trip to Dublin, we went to a little wine store called The French Paradox- and they have some light food there as well for lunch, in a lovely setting.

It was a little on the pricey side for the food (somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 euros for a salad), but the wine flight was reasonable (9 euros for 3 pours) and involved 3 tasty wines, no duds. Plus it’s in Ballsbridge. Say it a few times. It really rolls right off the tongue. Ballsbridge. Ballsbridge. Ballllllsssssbridge.
Do you know what the term “French Paradox” refers to? I did not, but luckily Ross educated me. I love that they used it as the name of a restaurant! From Wikipedia:
“The French paradox is the observation that the French suffer a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, despite having a diet relatively rich in saturated fats. The phenomenon was first noted by Irish physician Samuel Black in 1819. The term French paradox was coined by Dr. Serge Renaud, a scientist from Bordeaux University in France in 1992.”
Find more info on the wine store and restaurant at The French Paradox, and give it a go for lunch if you find yourself in Dublin!
Tags: ballsbridge, dublin, euros, french paradox, ireland, salad, wine flight, wine store
Posted in Europe Travel, RECOMMENDATIONS, Restaurant Recommendations, TRAVEL | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 24th, 2009


Tags: guadalajara, mexico, papel picado, tlaquepaque
Posted in Mexico Travel, WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 23rd, 2009
Before I say anything else let me tell you that THIS WHOLE DINNER HAS UNDER 200 CALORIES and is VERY TASTY AND FULFILLING!!! OK, I’ll stop yelling at you now so you can look at the picture.

Now I have never been into dieting or counting calories, but from time to time, often around the start of swimsuit season, I begin to eye my middle section and think that it’s starting to look like Costco up in here with all these muffin tops. This extra unwanted pudge is most likely a result of my personal interpretation of the food pyramid, which, if I’m being honest, looks about like this:

From this pyramid you may deduce a few things. Such as: I am a food hedonist and I really don’t like to deny myself anything. I like to eat animals and gorge on starches. I loves me some wine and meat… and butter, heavy cream, and cheese are all vying for the role of “Karen’s BFF.” So, my goal is to change up my pyramid a bit while still maintaining my lust for life and all of its edible/drinkable wonders. This will mean reinforcing some good habits and rewiring some bad ones. I am aiming for a pyramid that’s more like this:

I’m also in love with this iPhone app called LoseIt! which lets you set calorie goals and then log all of your exercise and food. It’s great at helping me figure out what some of my good and bad habits are! Tonight my goal was to eat something really tasty, filling, and low calorie, since I had totally crammed a huuuuge bagel with ginormous snowy peaks of cream cheese for breakfast, and I had a fair bit of wine last night (I’m going to let you interpret the phrase “a fair bit” however you wish…) I decided it would be fun to challenge myself tonight.
I wouldn’t have believed it was possible until I did it. But I am here to tell you: I am virtuous. I ate my veggies. I got my balance. My pyramid is turning a corner. I am still full, hours later. And I did it all for 190 calories. But don’t be afraid! I have sacrificed NO deliciousness for this meal. It’s the real deal: and I didn’t even have any wine or butter or bacon to go with it.
Asian Chopped Salad with Tuna and Mint
serves one.
Ingredients:
Method:
The calorie breakdown, with the amounts in the recipe, in case you’re interested…
Tags: diet, ginger, low calorie, low fat, mint, salad, spinach, tuna
Posted in ALL RECIPES, Asian Recipes, Fast and Easy Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Salad and Soup Recipes | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 21st, 2009
Happy Father’s Day! Now get to work. All the best dads know how to make shadow puppets.
Trashball posted a super helpful shadow puppet guide on his site. Which is great for me- whenever I try to make shadow puppets, my nieces and nephew are always like “wow Karen, you REALLY suck at this.” Even the ones who can’t talk yet. But think how amazed they’ll be when I bust out that super sweet 2-handed teddy bear… oh yeah. I will regain status as coolest and most favorite aunt. AND THEN I SHALL RULE THE WORLD!!! (Not really.)

Tags: aunts, fathers, shadow puppets
Posted in Craft Projects, Things I'm Loving | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 19th, 2009
I go to Mexico quite often, and visit some interesting food and drink towns, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite food photos and experiences in brief. It’s a fair amount to consume, so to speak, so I’ll be breaking them down by city and sharing them one by one!
First up: the gorgeous colorful kaleidoscope that is the colonial town of Guanajuato. Guanajuato is one of my favorite places in Mexico, and as it’s centrally located, it’s easily reachable from many points.

This lovely burg in Central Mexico’s state of Leon was founded in the 1500s, and funded lavishly for hundreds of years by a massively prolific silver mine just outside of town. The town is built up two sides of a ravine, and the residents favor bright colors for their boxy houses, which are packed together on teeny-tiny streets. In fact, legend has it 2 young lovers who lived across from one another used to live on a street so narrow that they could kiss each other from their facing balconies. For that reason, the street is famously known as Callejon del Beso- Kiss Alley. Auto traffic flows mainly through an incredible system of medieval-looking underground tunnels that were constructed in the early 1900s. The result is that traversing town, whether in a car or by foot, is a transporting experience.
Food Tour of Guanajuato, Mexico
Of course I bought this- handmade chocolate sold by an ancient man outside the Mercado Juarez. He said it was made by his 3 sons. Inside the paper, I found fragrant cakes of Mexican chocolate, rich with dark cocoa, cinnamon, and big crunchy granules of sugar. It cost about 30 cents for a stack of 5.

One morning, I spotted some guys hanging out by this old truck packed with hanging cow carcasses and a trash can near Mercado Embajadoras. Nice meat hook! ![]()

I love my Best Foods, but something about that giant hot jar of mayo made me think twice about that tasty-looking corn.

The signs on these delivery scooters for a Domino’s franchise have successfully managed to make me think of both explosions and lotion, neither of which is particularly tantalizing in relation to pizza.

Looking down into the food stalls and lunch counters in Mercado Juarez from the 2nd floor.

A fabulous torta de carnitas (pork sandwich) with spicy red and green sauces, for less than a buck each from one of those very stalls.

Obligatory Mexican market photo of a ginormous pile of dried chilies.

My brother-in-law loved this squash blossom/huitlacoche/homemade cheese concoction he got from a street vendor at the Pípila, but it was a bit too overpowering for me.

This is an official street sign, the likes of which normally point you to geographical or tourist locations- but this one is pointing out the different types of local food you can get at Mercado de Gavira.

Drinking is serious business in Mexico: for my money, you’ve gotta go with a shot of Herradura Reposado (for sipping, no shooting!) with sangrita (to chase each sip) and a Modelo Especial (in between.)

This guy was selling tamales from a bucket at 1 AM (35 cents for 2.) We got one because we were intrigued by “dulce” - sweet tamales. It was a tamale with pineapple goo inside. Not bad, but I’ll stick with savory. I should have tried acelgas (chard.)

We happened upon a minor league baseball game in an amazing stadium embedded right into the middle of town, and ate lots of salty roasted pistachios and pumpkin seeds, with cheap beers of course, while enjoying the action.

The stadium itself is nestled in a pocket of houses right in town, with the back walls comprised of rough-hewn rock.

Your choice for tickets: sun or shade. Guess which one is cheaper?

To visit Guanajuato: Del Bajio airport in Silao/Leon is about a 30 minute drive from Guanajuato. Mexicana, Aeromexico, Continental, American Eagle, and Delta all fly into Del Bajio from the U.S. The town is centrally located and can also be easily reached by bus from Mexico City, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro, and many other places.
Tags: baseball, carnitas, chilies, colonial, guanajuato, huitlacoche, leon, market, mercado, mexico, peanuts, sangrita, tamales, tequila, torta
Posted in Farmers' and Food Markets, Food & Wine Products, Mexico Travel, PHOTOJOURNALS, RECOMMENDATIONS, TRAVEL | No Comments »
Posted by admin on June 17th, 2009

Tags: chengdu, China, pigs, snacks
Posted in Asia Travel, Farmers' and Food Markets, WORDLESS WEDNESDAYS | 3 Comments »
Posted by admin on June 17th, 2009
This is a great and easy appetizer- but since I don’t really like breakfast food and I had some very ripe heirloom tomatoes staring at me as I prepared my cup of tea, I ate this for breakfast today. At 9 AM. DELICIOUS. I’m weird like that. I justified it by telling myself that since it was on toast and toast is a breakfast food it was OK. But you will probably want to make this later on in the day, at which time it would be more socially acceptable. Like, before dinner would be good.

Heirloom tomatoes are in season, and they are worth highlighting whatever chance you get! I never liked tomatoes until my mid-20s, when I tasted an heirloom tomato, at which point I realized I was just a huge tomato snob who didn’t like mealy, flavorless supermarket varieties- only the very best. Luckily the trend has caught on, and you can now get heirloom tomatoes in many major supermarkets, as well as fancy stores like Whole Foods, or, of course, a farmers’ market. Since the tomatoes are so good, they need hardly any embellishment- just a few accoutrements to bring out their bursting flavor and candy sweetness.
I’m not giving specific amounts in this recipe, because I figure you might want to make a lot or a little, and this isn’t rocket science, it’s like, a piece of toast with some stuff on it. So I have complete confidence that if I give you the general concept, you will be able to figure out how to do it in a way that works for you.
Crispy Toasts With Fresh Ricotta and Heirloom Tomatoes
Ingredients:
Method:
Tags: appetizer, black salt, heirloom, olive oil, ricotta, toast, tomatoes
Posted in ALL RECIPES, Appetizer + Snack Recipes, Fast and Easy Recipes | 1 Comment »