Passionately Crabby

by Emily

Good things from this week…

Yogurt bowl. Plain Greek with blueberries, passionfruit, and chocolate cookie granola.

Cookie dough protein yogurt bowl. Plain Greek with peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla bean powder, vanilla protein powder, and chocolate chips. Blueberries on the side, of course.

Hojicha tea with yuzu curd and passionfruit syrup.

Bougie candies. Candy Kitten raspberry + guava (7/10) and Jom cola (10/10).

I really enjoyed this Buldak cheese spicy chicken ramen. This flavor wasn’t too spicy and the noodles were so bouncy! I added an egg and a slice of cheese to my bowl and it was great.

A take on callaloo. Frozen spinach cooked down with light coconut milk, yellow onion, habanero pepper, ginger, urfa pepper, salt, pepper, turkey bacon, and crab.

I topped my bowl with soursop hot sauce and paired it with hot mustard Doritos.

Sushi roll bowls. Brown rice and roasted riced cauliflower with furikake, white sugar, and rice vinegar / imitation crab with green onion, Greek yogurt, mayo, soy sauce, and Sriracha / cucumbers tossed with white pepper, Sichuan pepper, and rice vinegar / avocado / pickled ginger / seaweed snacks on the side.

Crab fried rice. Leftover cauliflower/rice stir-fried with soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, green onion, crab meat, and eggs. Plus fairytale eggplants that I roasted and then sauteed with gojuchang, tahini, and sesame oil. We want to remake this eggplant immediately.

27May2024

Mind-bender

by Emily

Working in healthcare means no three-day weekends but we did have a nice weekend! Adam and I got to spend tons of time together, on Saturday we road-tripped to Pennsylvania for a bbq with my in-laws, and Sunday we did a bunch of fun Ridgewood stuff. Highlights…

Frozen coffee #1 – coffee, half and half, ice, frozen banana, vanilla protein powder, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and peanut butter.

Frozen coffee #2 – coffee, half and half, ice, vanilla protein powder, black sesame paste, and butterscotch coffee syrup.

Cholita. We got the Cocado minus milk – espresso with coconut syrup and sweetened condensed milk. It was delightful and inspired me to buy coconut water to add to coffee with condensed milk.

Salty Lunch Lady. This little luncheonette is our new favorite spot – the space was adorable, the service was great, and the food was fantastic. We got coconut cream pie.

And a turkey sandwich with dill pickles, Havarti cheese, avocado, and a dill mayo.

Mama Yoshi’s Mini Mart. Another super cute spot and our GIANT chicken katsu was so crispy and flavorful.

No trip to Ridgewood is complete without a stop at Evil Twin. We got all of the IPAs and fruity sours currently on-tap. Our favorite was the ET Stay(ed) Home 12 with raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, sweet cherry, and sour cherry.

Hellbender Nighttime Cafe. A new spot from the Rolo’s team, also a new favorite! We shared crispy lamb tacos with salsa roja, chorizo spices, onion, and cilantro.

And chicken fajitas with ridiculously good chicken, roasted shishito peppers and scallions, guacamole, Oaxan cheese, cilantro mayo, and pico de gallo.

Also several great cocktails. Our favorite was the Cocorac, a play on a Sazerac with coconut-washed rum and rye, palm sugar, absinthe, and coconut water.

We got home late on Saturday and had to get Wing Stop because little else was open. I remain fully obsessed with their hot honey dry rub. Pro tip – get the wings cooked well-done (do the same for the fries! Plus extra fry seasoning).

P.S. I didn’t realize until I was writing this post that we had coconut at 3/5 stops on Sunday; always nice to have an accidental theme!

25May2024

Winner Winner…

by Emily

… Chicken dinner(s)! I made a big batch of crockpot chicken (50:50 breasts and thighs) that was the base of our dinners this week and they all were winners! P.S. We also got Wing Stop take-out one night and the new hot honey dry rub was a 10/10 on the boneless wings.

Things from the week…

Adam and I laughed the other day that we don’t think we will ever get tired of blueberry yogurt bowls.

This one was plain skyr, 88 Acres cinnamon vanilla sunflower butter, Bear Naked maple pecan crumble granola, blueberries, and blackberries.

Trader Joe’s chicken tikka samosas dipped in caramelized onion Bitchin’ Sauce; a match made in heaven.

We tried two new beers – a Swedish fish inspired sour and a creamy IPA from Lagunitas. Both 8.5/10s, I’d drink them again at a bar but probably wouldn’t repurchase for home.

I wanted this new-release watermelon lime PowerAde to be even more sour but it was pretty good.

Passionfruit things. A white chocolate truffle bar and lilikoi Hi-Chew.

Paired with a sparkling iced matcha with passionfruit syrup.

We also really liked these hibiscus-raspberry gummies.

Chicken chilaquiles. I made homemade tortilla chips with lime and Sichuan pepper salt and sauteed them with white onion, poblano, yellow bell pepper, chicken, salsa, chicken broth, and sharp cheddar. Topped with a fried egg.

Buffalo chicken bites (inspired by this recipe). With roasted white onion, buffalo sauce, and sharp cheddar. Plus roasted yellow and green cauliflower and a homemade honey mustard dipping sauce.

Crispy bbq chicken baked tacos – hands down the best meal of the week. Tortillas baked until crispy with tons of sharp cheddar and chicken tossed with Stubbs bbq sauce and roasted white onion and poblano. Plus roasted Brussels sprouts and an avocado crema (mashed avocado with plain skyr, lemon juice, chipotle Cholula, salt, and smoked paprika).

8Apr2024

Gummy Worm Sprinkles

by Emily

Weekend things – I worked on Sunday and managed to get home on time / We went on a mall date and I bought new running shoes (the next generation of the Brooks’ Adrenalines) that seem great / We ate champagne mangos that were so juicy and perfect / I ordered a ton of Taco Bell take-out from their new Cantina menu and it was shockingly good!

Highlights…

Still on my yuzu iced matcha spritzer kick. Matcha tea, orange mandarin passionfruit jam, yuzu marmalade, and yuzu mandarin seltzer.

This beautiful sludge was actually a black sesame caramel dirty iced matcha. Matcha, espresso, skim milk, caramel Nut Pods vegan creamer, black sesame paste, and caramel drizzle.

We ate at Shukette last weekend and were sadly/surprisingly underwhelmed but we did have a fantastic dish of labne with candied kumquats and black sesame seeds. Hence this bagel – toasted egg bagel with cream cheese, yuzu marmalade, and sesame seeds. Also the other half with peanut butter, honey, and poppy seed filling.

I have been searching obsessively and I finally found the Dirt Cake Oreos! They are delicious and more importantly they are topped with gummy worm inspired sprinkles!!!

Spicy cold tofu. With roasted zucchini and Trader Joe’s mini chicken and cilantro wontons.

The best nachos I’ve ever made. Adam and I were both swooning! Trader Joe’s plantain crisps / extra-sharp cheddar / chopped baked chicken tossed with bbq sauce / green bell pepper, poblano pepper, baby tomatoes, and scallions sauteed in evoo with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Jamaican curry powder / homemade guacamole and chipotle lime ranch.

18Mar2024

Green With Satisfaction

by Emily

Some weekend highlights…

St. Patrick’s Day iced latte. A Shamrock vanilla protein shake that I dyed green plus Starbucks espresso and pistachio sauce. I also topped it with gold sprinkles! This tasted fantastic.

Hometown Bakeshop‘s insane tres leches cake iced latte.

I also brought home a s’mores bar and a blondie that were some of the gooiest and most decadent desserts we’ve ever tasted.

Will I ever get tired of yogurt bowls? Unlikely! Plain Greek with blueberries, blackberries, Heritage Flakes, and chocolate chips.

We both were fans of these lemon frosted Trader Joe’s animal crackers. Crispy without being too crunchy and the lemon was well-balanced.

Loaded salad from Burrito Blvd. With chicken, zucchini, tomato, corn salsa, and cheese. I added ranch dressing and hot sauce at home. Plus chips and guacamole.

We got take-out from Brooklyn Dip & Burger and their steak sandwich blew my mind. Thin sliced black angus ribeye, cheddar, and five spice dusted fried onions on a buttery brioche hero. Plus a mountain of fries that were crispy and well-seasoned. We got a bunch of their appetizers and loved those too!

Brie-bimpap bowls, inspired by Cafe Maddy. I bought light Brie at Trader Joe’s and it tasted like nothing and thus added nothing to the bowl but my bibimpap base was a 10/10. Brown rice / terrible brie / this sauce / crispy tofu – extra-firm tofu that I shredded and marinated (gochugaru, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar) overnight before baking at 400 degrees for 40 minutes / sauteed brown beech mushrooms / roasted zucchini / frozen chopped spinach sauteed with chili oil, sesame oil, and sesame seeds / fried egg.

Sushi roll bowl. Leftover brown rice reheated with gochugaru, Sichuan pepper salt, seaweed, and butter / Sriracha salmon salad made with Kewpie, Sriracha, and hot smoked salmon / spicy cucumber salad / pickled ginger.

26Jan2024

Root Beer Float

by Emily

Highlights from the week…

I bought this cute squeezie-tube sweetened condensed milk and enjoyed it in some fun coffees. INCLUDING root beer with cold brew and condensed milk and coconut water with instant espresso and condensed milk.

Yogurt bowl – plain skyr with blueberries, blackberries, chia seeds, almond crunch granola, and Oat Haus vanilla granola butter.

Blackberries and an Autumn Glory apple with granola butter.

The best citrus fruit (Sumo mandarins) with the best bar (Perfect cookie dough).

Trader Joe’s garlic hummus with rosemary and olive oil crackers.

Mentioning again how much I enjoy the passionfruit mochi from Bubbies.

I was a big fan of this Heartbreaker canned cocktail from Livewire; it was balanced and not too sweet.

Root beer with golden rum and sweetened condensed milk; this was even better than a float.

This is a photo of my chips and guacamole appetizer because burritos are unphotogenic, but I did have a great steak burrito from Burrito Blvd with zucchini, corn, cheese, rice, and serrano mayo.

A wonderful and wonderfully easy dinner thanks to a microwavable base.

Quinoa and Nasoya Korean bbq plant-based steak (we loved this, the taste and texture were perfect) plus peanuts and a cold cucumber salad with tahini and gojuchang.

Creamy crab and tomato pasta. Buckwheat soba noodles / crab claws / roasted zucchini / sauce – shallots, garlic, butter, fresno chili, tomato paste, smoked paprika, half and half / topped with gochugaru and lemon zest.

This dinner was unhinged but successful – turkey cheeseburger egg salad! Ground turkey and medium-boiled eggs with sauteed shallots, chopped dill pickle, cheddar cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, mayo, and yellow mustard.

Plus potato tots and roasted broccoli with a homemade Greek yogurt ranch.

5Jan2024

I Am A Little Stitious

by Emily

Hello, 2024! I am not superstitious, but I do like to start every new year with a run and some traditionally lucky foods. This year we got in black eyed peas, collard greens, and grapes. Plus something sweet for a sweet year!

Highlights from a tasty week…

1/1/24 brunch date at For Five while I set up my planner.

I got a roasted turkey sandwich with cheese, sprouts, and avocado.

Plain skyr with strawberries, persimmon, and sugar cookie granola.

These jelly sakes are my favorite drink. Related – we played trivia at a bar midweek and got to try Abomination Brewing’s Christmas cookie Fog Nog (fantastic).

Hawaiian fruit jellies; the starfruit and passionfruit ones were obviously the best.

The best snack plate of the year – Trader Joe’s Chicken Tikka samosas (with spicy truffle mayo and plum sauce) / Lolliberry strawberries / jam grapes.

Not a bad runner up – soy marinated eggs / cucumber / cheddar.

Dinner on the 1st – sauteed collard greens with green onion and garlic and black eyed pea salad with garlic and black pepper almonds, green bell pepper, Kerrygold Dubliner cheddar, and mayo and chipotle Cholula.

We tried the Bombay Sando from Oak and Orange – toasted ciabatta with grilled chicken, amul cheese, seasoned potatoes, pickled red onions, and a housemade chutney. Plus the best green smoothie I’ve ever made – frozen spinach, banana, and cherries, fresh tangerine, and water.

Sheetpan hash. Roasted brussels sprouts, grapes, poblano peppers, sweet potato, and chili verde chicken sausage with green onion and dried cranberries. I went back and topped this with a maple-Cholula aioli.

31Dec2023

Goodbye, 2023

by Emily

Blogging a day early… My New Years Eve celebration of choice has always been going to bed at a reasonable hour and starting the new year refreshed. We are finishing our year with junk food and a nice bottle of champagne 🙂

Things from the last days of 2023 included…

Butterscotch iced latte from Think Coffee.

The cinnamon bun Chamberlain Coffee didn’t have enough flavor for us but the grapefruit elderflower Aura Bora is my favorite.

We met up with friends for coffee, a Bayside walk, and crepes. Mine had red bean, matcha ice cream, strawberries, and chocolate sauce. Plus I got a jasmine tea with an ice-bear.

Mexican street corn popcorn. I don’t love pre-popped popcorn but this variety was well-seasoned and a bit spicy.

Caramel on caramel. Great caramels that my parents made and even better Reese’s caramel big cups (sorry guys, yours would have won against a lesser candy!).