Last week we ended our work-week early and took some vacation days to go home to St. Thomas! Runs along the ocean, iced coffees while walking on the beach, and family time were just what I needed! My mom’s entire side of the family was down and we had a fantastic family reunion.
I took no food photos, only (a thousand) beach photos. Things I ate of note – 1) Fish Bar‘s smoked fish dip at a delicious dinner with my cousins 2) Soursop coquito that was sweet and creamy and boozy and wonderful 3) My mom’s homemade dumb bread – with cheese and butter – that was the best thing I ate this quarter
I had to work the holiday so we flew back in time to celebrate our first Christmas/Hannukah in our new home! {have I mentioned on there that we bought a condo? It’s been a whirlwind}
Five holiday things…
1) This week’s eggnog iced coffee was the best yet. Farmland wins this year by a mile.
2) Chinese take-out for Christmas Eve dinner felt perfect and festive. From Orchid where we will be going again shortly.
3) Red and green nachos for Christmas dinner. Kettle chips / cheese / duck sausage / roasted red bell pepper / garlic sauteed broccoli rabe.
4) Abomination Brewing‘s gingerbread and eggnog double IPAs. 100/10. These are my favorite beverages (alcoholic or otherwise) of all time.
5) Trader Joe’s thoughts — frozen vegetable and cheese enchiladas – 0/10. They were watery and under seasoned; I gave up after three bites and threw them out.
Pink Lady cinnamon sugar apple chips – 10/10. These were perfectly sour and sweet and nicely crunchy.
I also made cinnamon brownies with chestnut cream cheese icing! What a great combination.
We had a few peppermint losers. This is my reminder for next year that this Smirnoff peppermint vodka is not pleasant in plain seltzer. (yes, I also dyed it pink)
And I remember liking this Perfect Bar before but the peanut butter mint combination was too much for me.
Meanwhile, these Jelly Belly candy cane jelly beans were toothpaste-y in exactly the perfect way and I loved them.
Trader Joe’s eggnog Greek yogurt (always a winner!) with blueberries and Bob’s Red Mill maple sea salt granola.
This honey dragon fruit had much more flavor than the other types.
Sheet pan hash. Roasted brussel sprouts, scallions, and baby bell peppers with blue cheese and smoked turkey.
Buffalo chicken baked pasta. We loved this. Whole wheat macaroni, spinach, and baked chicken breast / sauce, heated up in a skillet – cream cheese, cottage cheese, Frank’s, and sharp cheddar / topped with more cheddar, blue cheese, and scallions. Plus roasted cauliflower.
We (over-)ordered from a local steakhouse and sushi place and were pleasantly surprised. I got a California roll topped with kani salad, spicy mayo, avocado, and crunchies / spicy tuna roll topped with spicy tuna, spicy mayo, eel sauce, and crunchies / crab and shrimp beignets.
The 1st week of December has been fantastically festive!
Highlights include…
Red and green yogurt bowl; plain skyr with frosted bran flakes, strawberries, and pumpkin seed butter.
One of Blue Bottle‘s winter specials is a chocolate mint Nola.
I was not a fan of either of these “winter” energy drinks.
But I loved this Target brand eggnog in iced coffees.
Also with iced matcha.
Leftover brownies from Thanksgiving. I make the Baker’s Chocolate recipe – with the addition of chocolate chips and espresso powder! – and they always get rave reviews.
White chocolate peppermint ice cream from Jeni’s; it is pink!
Malai‘s ice cream has the perfect texture and their nutmeg flavor tastes exactly like eggnog.
Taco salads. Spinach / baby bell peppers / homemade dressing with Greek yogurt, mayo, lime, and ranch seasoning / sharp cheddar / Love Corn sour cream and onion corn nuts <– 10/10 / ground turkey and sweet onion sauteed with fajita seasoning / Frontera double roasted tomato salsa.
Nachos with baby bell peppers instead of chips (plus leftover turkey, salsa, and tons of sharp cheddar). I know this sounds like a bad TikTok trend but these were delicious.
Chilaquiles casserole. A spin on this recipe with shredded chicken; roasted bell pepper, poblano pepper, zucchini, and scallion; crushed tortilla chips; sharp cheddar; salsa; and eggs and chicken broth.
We’ve been to TWO holiday pop-ups already. Both were fabulously decorated and unflatteringly lit. Sunday – Sunday in Brooklyn‘s Snowday in Brooklyn.
We thought their themed drinks were great/better than last year. Noggin’ Toboggan – Australian whiskey, allspice, eggnog soft-serve, and Thai tea soda / Yule Shoot Yer Rye Out! – NY Distilling Jaywalk rye, Japanese whiskey, pawpaw fruit, pineapple, artichoke amaro, and curry leaf.
Polar Bear Club – frozen rum, Aquavit, coconut, pineapple, banana, and coffee bean.
North Pole Dancer – Haku vodka, passionfruit, popcorn tea, saffron, and sparkling sake. This was my favorite of the night and not just because it came with caramel corn.
We also had some really wonderful food. Wood-fired pita topped with spinach, artichoke, white cheddar, and bechamel.
Roasted honeynut squash with coffee tahini, brown butter, and a watercress salad.
Wood-roasted brussel sprouts with toasted pistachio, golden raisins, and lemon gremolata. <– these were 10/10 leftover
French Dip – grilled brisket, provolone, Gold’s mustard, and beef jus.
Wood-roasted chicken with Herb De Provence, roasted garlic jus, and seasoned fries.
Wednesday – Leyenda‘s Sleyenda. I am not a talented enough photographer to deal with their low lighting but they were decked to the nines.
I also only took a single food photo even though we great drinks and dinner. We shared fried plantains and I had the Panuchos – fried corn tortillas topped with coconut habanero shrimp, refried black beans, avocado, and pickled onions. Once again the themed drinks were great and better than last year! My favorite (always) was the frozen Candy Striper – Diplomatico planas rum, cachaca, coconut, maple, vanilla, peppermint, and cardamom.
No post last weekend because we were busy moving into OUR condo. We all (Webster included!) love it here and I feel very thankful.
Things from the past week…
Thanksgiving-themed foods abound!
I was in a celebratory mood and bought eggnog from my coffee one week early.
11/10 yogurt bowl – plain skyr with frosted bran flakes, blackberries, and persimmon.
I am a big fan of these chia Smash Bites. Blueberry and cashew butter.
Baskin Robbins seasonal ice creams – eggnog and pumpkin cheesecake. <– way better than I was anticipating, the pumpkin was loaded with cheesecake pieces and marshmallow swirl.
It’s soup season. This one was great. Chicken broth / canned diced tomatoes / roasted zucchini / sauteed onion and celery / baked chicken meatballs with garlic, panko, half and half, and hot sauce. Plus Trader Joe’s ciabatta.
Thanksgiving dinner-inspired fried rice. Leftover white rice and roasted cauliflower rice refried with eggs, smoked paprika, celery seed, butter, spicy candied pecans, dried cranberries, Trader Joe’s oven-roasted turkey breast, and sauteed onion, celery, and cremini mushroom. I topped my bowl with cranberry sauce and chipotle Cholula.
Thanksgiving dinner-inspired crunchwrap from Roast. Turkey, white cheddar, stuffing, cranberry jam, crispy onions, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Plus leftover zucchini and some blackberries.
Thanksgiving dinner nachos! Stuffing chips with Trader Joe’s unexpected cheddar, smoked turkey ham, spicy candied pecans, dried cranberries, poblanos and scallions sauteed in butter with celery seed, and topped with cranberry sauce. Plus leftover Thai green beans sauteed with gojuchang and cranberry.
Our favorite Pekin place in Long Island sadly closed but opened a new dumpling spot in Manhattan. We had steamed veggie and pan-fried chicken and corn dumplings and they were fantastic.
We tried a plethora of Thanksgiving turkey themed pastries. Trader Joe’s – cornbread stuffing, turkey, and Neufchatel cheese in a tortilla.
Starbucks – turkey sage sausage with Bechamel sauce in a danish.
Milk Bar – turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce in a herbed croissant.
Dinner at the newly reopened Kellogg’s Diner. The service/atmosphere and alcoholic drinks were meh but the food was worth it! Pimento cheese with saltines.
Short rib hash. This was great but Adam’s fried chicken and waffles was the best dish on the menu.
Desserts were the standout. Strawberry jell-o pretzel salad and passionfruit icebox pie.
Dinner at Sweetbriar. American Beauty cocktail (Rose Hip Luksosowa Vodka, lemon, rose water, egg white, and rose buds) and The Elixir (chamomile tea-infused Fords Gin, honey-ginger syrup, lemon, apricot preserves, and Laphroaig.
Cornbread with honey butter.
Wood-fired carrots with stracciatella, and salsa macha.
Roasted beets with shiso cream, green apple, avocado, and wasabi crumble.
Duck ham crostini with fig and gorgonzola.
Pistachio-crusted grilled chicken with snap peas, and red pepper pesto.
Croissant bread pudding with ice cream. This was crusted in cocoa nibs like a peppercorn steak and it was amazing.
This Target brand stuffing-seasoned popcorn had a great flavor but the texture was a bit stale.
I was also left luke-warm by the cinnamon roll Noosa (Adam loved it though).
Spinach and artichoke dip-inspired salad. Spinach / chopped pickled artichoke hearts / Trader Joe’s 4 cheese blend / shredded chicken breast / homemade dressing – Greek yogurt, mayo, Dijon mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, evoo, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of sugar / panko bread crumbs crisped in a skillet with evvo, garlic, and gochugaru.
Peanut sauce chicken pizza. This was great! Homemade 2 ingredient dough / peanut sauce – peanut butter, water, white sugar, Sriracha, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and rice vinegar / shredded chicken breast / sauteed broccoli slaw / green onion / sharp cheddar / sesame seed crust with egg wash. Plus roasted broccoli.
Cabbage salad. Sauteed with green onion and broccoli slaw / shredded chicken breast / dry roasted peanuts / sauce – rice vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, Sriracha, and brown sugar.
I – of course – have a stash of Thanksgiving Month themed foods.
I didn’t try any of those this weekend but I did have pie cookies from Whole Foods – pumpkin and pecan (6/10 and 10/10).
Another amazing Whole Food’s snack – salt and pepper kettle chips and caramelized onion dip.
The snack I will never tire of – plain Greek yogurt with cereal and blueberries.
We made the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten this weekend. With sharp cheddar, cream cheese, blueberry jam, and gochujang. Plus honey mustard sauteed green beans.
Eating Chalk 