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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I worked this weekend and things were pretty hectic but thankfully I finally made it to the grocery from vacation and we were able to enjoy some great dinners. Highlights from the past three days include…
I tried and loved the new layers Perfect Bars. The oat crisps on top were perfect.
Chewy doughnuts from Paris Baguette – mochi, lemon cronut, and cream cheese filled mochi. We have been very impressed by every item we have tried from PB.
A former intern brought us in goodies including baklava and halvah.
Onda‘s canned tequilla seltzers are solid, this strawberry flavor is quite drinkable.
I 12/10 loved this Social Hour Sunkissed Fizz canned cocktail with vodka, yuzu, peach, key lime, and jasmine. I carted this home from a liquor store in Midtown and it exceeded my expectations. Very smooth, very boozy, not too sweet.
I turned my leftover Pecking House chicken-seasoned fries into something amazing. Leftover fries crisped under the broiler / Kewpie mayo / baby broccoli sauted with tons of garlic / Trader Joe’s teriyaki baked tofu / chili crisp.
Cuban sandwich inspired salads. Romaine / leftover garlic broccoli / homemade yellow mustard vinaigrette (equal parts mustard, mayo, vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice, plus a pinch of salt) / homemade croutons / Jarlsberg cheese and sliced pork for Adam and smoked turkey for me. I forgot the chopped pickles, which is devestating, but this was still a fantastic salad.
Reuben sandwich inspired okonomiyaki. Shredded yellow potato (squeezed as dry as possible and microwaved for three minutes) / shredded cabbage and chopped green onion (baked for 20 minutes) / in a batter with minced ginger, white pepper, salt, gochugaru, eggs, flour, and ginger seltzer / stuffed with sliced roast beef and Jarlsberg / then cooked in a wide pan in canola oil / topped with homemade Russian dressing.
This was a yummy week; lots of new favorites in snacks and dinners! Highlights included…
PB&J inspired yogurt bowl – skyr with blueberries, salty peanuts, and blueberry jam.
I finally got my hands on this old seasonal release seltzer and it was as good as I’d anticipated; very cinnamon-y.
Boozy, citrusy fun – citron soju and a yuzu jelly sake.
Guava and dulce de leche bites my parents sent me from home.
These Tropifrutti gummies are my favorite Haribo item, the texture is perfect.
This peanut butter fudge honeycomb ice cream easily makes my top-three-favorites list. I prefer ice creams that are loaded with mix-ins but the texture of the ice cream of here was just so decadent.
Homemade baked eggrolls! We stuffed them with a mix of crab, shredded cabbage, green onion, and red pepper jelly. Plus roasted broccoli and dipping sauce on the side.
10/10 salads – arugula / homemade dressing with lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar / sweet baby bell peppers / homemade wonton crisps (egg roll wrappers baked with Sichuan pepper salt) / peanuts / shredded chicken reheated in a skillet with green onions and chicken broth.
The TikTok hack of shaking your mac and cheese and nuggets together with buffalo sauce and ranch is legit. I used Whole Foods baked macaroni, Applegate Farms nuggets, and added some roasted cauliflower.
P.S. As of this morning the husband and I are on vacation! We have a whole week of time together!! And fun plans, including reservations at Oiji Mi for tonight.
Eating Chalk 