Trader Joe’s Thai Noodles

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I hope all of my local readers are breathing a little bit better! Highlights from the past week…

A sucessful fridge dregs yogurt bowl – Trader Joe’s guava passionfruit Greek yogurt with a bit of cottage cheese, mandarin orange, and chia seeds.

The cookie dough flavor is the best Perfect Bar flavor (though I am hoping to get my hands on the crispy layered ones again asap).

Plant-based gummies. The ones on my left are one of my favorites but I was not a fan of the ones on the right as they were basically fruit leather (note – Adam loved them).

An assortment of citrus sparkling beverages. The Social Hour was the stand-out. I was suprisingly not that impressed by the Topo Chico.

I enjoyed these Trader Joe’s Mee Krob seasoned noodle crisps and would buy them again.

Trader Joe’s chicken and veggie gyoza potstickers (9.5/10) with edamame and dumpling sauce on the side.

Trader Joe’s Thai wheat noodles sauteed with spinach, edamame, green onion, and a spicy sauce (including gojuchang, Sriracha, and chili crisp!) and topped with sesame seeds and a fried egg.

Williamsburg Weekend

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I worked the weekend but Adam and I were able to have some fun date nights! Some highlights (all Brooklyn-based!) included…

Qahwah House. We got a Mofawar (Yemeni coffee with cinnamon, cardamom, and cream) and a Basboasaa (a semolina cake with pistachios and sweetened condensed milk).

Inday All Day. Hibiscus Mezcal Margarita – mezcal, homemade hibiscus syrup, pineapple, and masala honey / Spicy Mango Margarita – chili-infused tequila, mezcal, cointreau, cinnamon, lime juice, and mango juice.

Housemade cheddar naan with a yogurt dipping sauce. <– so good!

Tamarind salmon.

K’Far. Persian margartia with mezcal, tequilla, and black lime.

Savory baklava with haloumi, rhubarb, and pistachio.

Short rib with amba and passionfruit.

Chocolate kanafi with a coconut ice cream.

Eggcellent Eats

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Yummy highlights from the past week…

We made the best iced matcha with creamy lemonade – fresh lemon and lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon seltzer.

Pickles are a top tier snack.

And these Trader Joes Crunchy Curls are possibly the most satisfying thing I’ve ever eaten.

Double double IPAs. We loved the Destihl and liked the Montauk Brewery.

Soft-scrambled eggs (plus an extra soft-boiled egg) / a huge pile of sauteed green beans with chili crisp / Paris Baguette mini garlic croissants.

Soy marinated eggs with brown rice, roasted cabbage, and chili crisp.

Soy eggs with smoked almonds, cottage cheese, and cucumber salad (chopped and tossed with white pepper, sugar, and Sichuan pepper salt).

Fried rice. Leftover rice with Sriracha, soy sauce, and fish sauce / eggs / Trader Joe’s turkey summer sausage / green onion and white onion / chopped baby brocoli and baby cauliflower with salt, white peppers, and tons of garlic.

Blue Mountain Dew

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Things from the weekend…

There is a new coffee spot near us with Jamaican Blue Mountain.

The homemade Snickers are definitely one of the best things I’ve ever made. And so quick and easy too.

I mostly drink IPAs but I do really love this key lime pie sour.

Multiple theme snacks! We ate these orange slices with orange slices.

And drank a variety of Mountain Dew and then rewatched the Slurm episode of Futurama.

Egg salad dinner plate. Six minute eggs with Greek yogurt, mayo, mustard, pickle juice, dill, pickles, and red bell pepper. Plus pickled red onion, crackers, and roasted purple cauliflower.

Cheeseburger-inspired salads. Romaine / special sauce dressing – 1 Tbsp each mayo, yellow mustard, olive oil, and vinegar, plus 1/2 Tbsp ketchup and a pinch of salt and white pepper / pickles / tomato / quick pickled chopped white onion / mini turkey patties topped with sharp cheddar / dill / sesame seeds.

Plus special sauce kettle chips!

Snickers Or Salad

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Highlights from this week…

I took myself on a sunny coffee date to Wired on my day off. Espresso with marshmallow and Oreo cold foam.

Blackberries and a blood orange. So pretty!

Snack plate – corn nuts, smoked almonds, cacao almonds, blackberries, vegan jerky, and salmon jerky.

Loved both of these summer-y seltzers; the Polar was so pineapple-forward!

These marshmallows were so asthetically pleasing and so terrible (crumbly and very odd tasting).

But I used the vanilla ones to make homemade Snickers! This nougat recipe with salted peanuts and caramels folded in, topped with milk chocolate.

I was actively grocery shopping when I saw this week’s Roast specials and I changed my list to accomodate a night of take-out. Crunchwrap with honey Sriracha fried chicken, cheddar, coleslaw, french fries, and sweet chili aioli / buffalo chicken mac and cheese balls / roasted zucchini from home.

Filipino-ish dinner bowls. Ground turkey sauteed with tons of sisig seasoning, red and sweet onion, eggplant, and crispy baked shredded tofu. On a base of rice noodles tossed in chili crisp.

Bagel and lox inspired salad – romaine (with ranch, I was too lazy to figure out a cream cheese dressing), tons of fresh dill, quick-pickled red onion, hot smoked sockeye salmon, and everything seasoning roasted chickpeas.

In Paradise

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This past weekend Adam and I… lost our minds over the beautiful flowers all over Park Slope / went to a Filipino/JapanFest street fair / checked off two restauarants on my “lauded cheeseburgers” list. Highlights included…

Birthday cake smoothie bowl from Juice Press. I kept seeing the advertisement for this and I couldn’t help myself! The smoothie was meh but the Out Haus birthday cake granola butter was perfection.

Marvelous by Fred – mini meringue with coffee and hazelnuts.

Ice cream from Teo’s – coffee crunch and sprinkles. Great texture, I love an egg-heavy ice cream base.

Street fair finds. Ube and calmansi juice was a surprisingly sucessful combo.

Okonomiyaki.

Mini twinkie with jackfruit and Frooty Pebbles.

Drinks at The Warren. I loved my Madame Brown with bourbon, passionfruit, sour, and egg whites. We also had the best (unphotographed) deviled eggs I’ve ever eaten; I want to come back here for dinner immediately.

Dinner at Red Paper Clip. My drink was the best of the weekend, College Drop Out – a whiskey sour with passionfruit.

Roasted cauliflower with yuzu agro dulce, shiso, and sunflower seeds.

The everything brioche with cured trout, miso egg yolk, and trout roe was a showstopper; this was stunningly good.

We got the cavetalli with nori, parmesan, and bonito.

Lobster three ways, fried salt and pepper claws / fried rice / and in a miso beurre blanc.

The burger – double patties, lettuce, special sauce, and yellow cheese.

Dinner at Emmy Squared. Palomo.

The burger – double patties, american cheese, spicy sammy sauce, greens, and pickles; served with waffle fries.

We also got a pizza with red sauce, meatballs, and banana peppers.

Niether burger makes my top three list (Elder Greene, Nowon, Ruthies) but they were quite good and it was a great weekend!

Salsa Week

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I love a good set of theme dinners! Some highlights from this week include…

I am definitely a fan of the BelliWelli bars, cinnamon swirl was soft and not too spiced.

Summer fruits are bringing me a lot of joy. It was a great week of yogurt bowls. Plain 2% Greek with cinnamon, blueberries, blackberries, and chocolate chip cookie dough granola.

Plain Greek with maple syrup, mandarin, blackberries, granola, and chia seeds.

Adam and I really enjoyed this Mabi tea with mauby and strawberry.

Instant topokki.

Two non-traditional jerkies, both a 10/10 – Louisville Vegan Jerky Co maple bacon and Trader Joe’s salmon – both had wonderful textures and great balance of flavors.

McConnell’s double peanut butter chip ice cream is a new favorite. This was the year I discovered that chocolate flakes are a top tier ice cream mix-in.

This packaged Alfajor was surprisingly moist; we would buy it again.

Two of my current favorite canned tequilla cocktails – Superbird paloma and Onda passionfruit seltzer.

Taco salad. Arugula with Trader Joe’s cilantro dressing / black beans / cheese flavored corn nuts / homemade tortilla chips – baked with lime and togarashi / poached chicken / roasted veggies – bell peppers, poblano pepper, and sweet onion / roasted zucchini / salsa – Frontera chipotle.

Chilaquiles. Shredded chicken – breasts and thighs cooked in the crockpot / all the leftover veggies / homemade tortilla chips / salsa / sharp cheddar and mozarella / topped with a fried egg / and plain Greek yogurt and hot sauce.

Crispy quesadillas. Shredded chicken reheated with green onions and taco seasoning / seasoned and mashed black beans / mozarella and sharp cheddar. Plus a trio of dipping sauces (guacamole, salsa mixed with yogurt, serrano mayo) and roasted broccoli.

Homemade burrito. Shredded chicken, black beans, salsa, avocado, and sharp cheddar. The surgeon did an excellent job rolling.

New Wave burrito. Sirloin Steak, chimichurri, rice, french fries, lime crema, chihuahua cheese, ranchero beans, and pico de gallo.

Cinnamon Rose Ginger Sesame

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Highlights from quite a nice weekend! We had good weather, tons of coffees, great food, and a walk across the Williamsburg Bridge…

Rose water iced Americano from Land to Sea.

The cinnamon bun from Duck Island Bread Company is my all-time favorite.

I love this sort of spicy ginger and meyer lemon seltzer from Aura Bora.

Red bean stuffed, sesame coated mochi from Lucky King Bakery are a can’t miss.

Cola-flavored Chupa Chups!!

Lunch at Tanoreen. Za’atar mezcal margarita (mezcal, house made za’atar shrub, and fresh lime) — the best cocktail of the weekend.

Falafel. Plus we had the complimentary bread basket with great za’atar crusted crisps.

I got the baked eggplant with tomato, almonds, and ground lamb.

Knafeh – crispy filo dough with sweet cheese and orange blossom syrup.

Dinner at Virginia’s. Spicy Marg 2.0 – tequilla, passion fruit, lime, Thai chili oil, and spicy salt.

A mojito that reminded me of a julep.

Fantastic hamachi crudo.

French onion and crème fraîche dip with potato chips and trout roe.

Roasted carrots with almond romanesco and goat cheese.

THE burger with cheddar and onion marmalade. This was so good that I loved it even though it was vastly overcooked.

Plus the best shoestring fries.

We got the “banana pudding” for dessert; bananas with cookie crunch and whipped cream. Adam liked it because it tasted good and I hated it because there was not even a hint of pudding.