Lula Mae Fan (Fan)

Some highlights from an exceptionally delicious weekend…

Homemade cookie dough cold foam iced latte with frothed milk, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, and baking soda.

Banana sesame protein coffee. Blended – coffee, chocolate milk, frozen banana, black sesame paste, vanilla protein powder.

Cookies and creme protein bar. Yes, I paired this with the cookie latte.

Golda. Breakfast plate – two eggs [over easy], spiced home fries, sourdough toast, and housemade hot sauce.

Brooklyn Kolache. We shared pimento cheese, beef sausage, and a sweet poppy seed.

Also a wonderful ube iced latte.

Fan Fan Doughnuts. I was underwhelmed by the dough today, sadly, but the toppings were top-notch. Dark chocolate with meringue / salted brown butter / lemon / Iranian Love with labne frosting.

Petee’s Pie. I am sad that we slept on this spot for so long because we were quite impressed. I had the Maine blueberry crumble pie with maple whipped cream.

These jelly sake cans – particularly in yuzu – are one of my favorite things.

This photo isn’t that exciting but it’s mostly a reminder to myself that the chicken and poblano pepper burrito from Whole Foods is pretty darn good.

I forgot to take a photo of my turkey cheeseburger salad – red lettuce, sauteed red kale, ranch dressing, ground turkey, tomatoes, extra-sharp cheddar, and sesame seeds – but we paired it with creamy dill potato chips.

Lula Mae – Cambodian food and the best meal of 2024. They had a pre-fixe happening for Restaurant Week and we got to try a ton of (amazing!) things. Spicy mezcal mule and a Tokyo Mae – Suntori whiskey, Cynar, yuzu, anise, and sarsaparilla bitters.

Cha kway fried bread with tom yum butter and pickles. <– mindblowing

Tuna on crispy rice.

50:50 fried chicken – dry rubbed with a lemon pepper dressing and a soy tamarind sauce.

Braised short-rib and morning glory greens in a tamarind stew.

Jumbo Berry, Mini Wonton

The best things I ate this weekend…

Banana protein coffee shake – coffee blended with frozen banana, chocolate milk, cinnamon, and vanilla protein powder.

Elleno’s lemon curd Greek yogurt in a giant yogurt bowl with strawberries, jumbo blueberries, and granola.

Rhythm Tajin-seasoned dried jicama. 10/10. These had a lovely airy crunch.

Local pizza – vodka and buffalo chicken.

Trader Joe’s chicken, cheese, and green chili papusas (very meh, I would not buy again) with perfectly roasted broccoli with togarashi and ranch dipping sauce. Our optimized veggie method is roasting on a foil-lined tray and folding the foil over halfway through the cooking time to create a steam-packet. The dipping sauce was Greek yogurt, mayo, rice vinegar, and ranch seasoning.

Wonton soup. Trader Joe’s frozen mini chicken cilantro wontons (fantastic), green onion, baby bok choy, gochugaru, white pepper, and salt in chicken broth plus water and white miso paste. I topped my bowl with chili oil and this was surprisingly satisfying for how quick and easy it was.

Bowled Over

No post from me last week because we were on VACATION. It was perfect! We went home to the Virgin Islands and got to start every single morning with a run and/or iced coffee and/or breakfast right on the water. Then we came back to New York and had a fancy stay at the Wall Street Hotel and an amazing meal at their restaurant (La Marchande).

Highlights from this week included…

Valentine’s things! Like heart-shaped candies.

Chocolate cherry protein bar from 88 Acres.

Chocolate covered cherry smoothie – plain Greek yogurt, frozen dark cherries, and chocolate milk.

Chocolate cherry cookies – this recipe with the addition of chopped cocktail cherries.

I paired this wonderfully pink peach apricot rose soda with vodka and edible glitter!

Do these winter citrus fruits count as on-theme because I love them? My last two juicy crunch tangerines were a bit lackluster though, so sumo mandarins have regained the number one spot in my heart.

Yogurt bowl with juicy crunch tangerine, canned peaches, blueberry jam, and granola.

Snack plate – pimento cheese dip scooped with mini cucumbers, baby carrots, and white cheddar popcorn chips.

This week’s dinners were all – a) fantastic and b) served in bowls. Butter chicken inspired tofu. Extra-firm tofu marinated in tomato sauce, olive oil, ginger, curry powder, and smoked paprika then sauteed. For the sauce I cooked the marinade with yellow onion, fresno chili, butter, tomato paste, and a big splash of half and half. Served with a quick cucumber and tomato salad (tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and Sichuan pepper salt) and a blend of brown rice and riced cauliflower.

Cava inspired bowls. Leftover rice/cauliflower / leftover cucumber tomato salad / marinated grilled artichoke hearts / honey harissa baked chicken (we use this recipe as our base and it is perfect) / baby corn / Cava crazy feta dip.

Bowls very-loosely inspired by Bún thịt nướng. Whole-wheat vermicelli noodles / roasted brussel sprouts / tomatoes / chicken breast cooked in the crockpot with water, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and ginger / topped with Nước chấm sauce and chili crisp.

Dollars To Crullers

It was a fantastic weekend (including a 6+ mile Manhattan walk)! Highlights include…

Banana protein coffee (blender – coffee, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, frozen banana); Adam and I both decided we adore this.

Interlude‘s Cadenza is one of the most exciting coffees we’ve had in a while. Shaken espresso served with Mexican Coke topped with cold foam and vanilla whipped cream.

Sadly, Doughnut Project is closing this month so we had to go get a final fantastic maple cruller.

Related – Daily Provisions‘ monthly cruller special is lemon poppy seed so obviously we got that too! This was even better than DP.

Rigor Hill Market‘s hot chocolate is a 10/10; thick and creamy, a good balance of bitter and sweet, and it comes with toasted marshmallows.

Joe’s Steam Rice Roll, we got beef with egg and scallions. The sauce trio makes this.

Dinner at Thai Diner. We arrived early and managed to snag a table. I got Phat See Ew with beef shortrib. Any dish with broad rice noodles and Chinese broccoli is a hit with me.

Plus pea shoots with garlic, chili, and salted soybeans.

Guava sour with vodka and mint.

Dinner at Backyard BBQ in Freeport. I didn’t have my camera but I did Instagram our giant spread because we loved it here. Brisket, chicken with an amazing bbq rub, candied yams, and pickles.

Plus smoked baked mac and cheese that we both thought was perfect. We also had an unphotographed cheese burger!

An easy homemade dinner – Trader Joe’s chicken taquitos baked topped with ground turkey, zucchini, smoky salsa, and cheddar.

I Am A Little Stitious

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.

Winter Banana

Highlights from the week…

We are both really enjoying this flavored s’mores coffee from Bones Coffee Company.

Extra-purple smoothie – frozen grapes, frozen berries, Greek yogurt, and butterfly pea tea.

Yogurt bowl with fresh persimmon, caramel apple granola, honey, and nutmeg.

This giant apple was labeled a “Winter Banana” at the farmers’ market so obviously we bought it.

Such good packaged snacks this week. Jalapeño and honey chicken jerky (9/10) / peanut butter dark chocolate Over Easy bar (8/10).

Abomination Brewing’s marshmallow double IPA with a marshmallow fluff rim!!

True or False – I buy anything new Ben & Jerry’s has to offer? At least once! The peanut butter cup cookie dough bites were a new favorite, 2nd only to the s’mores option, but the Oat of this Swirled flavor wasn’t for me.

We also shop Seed & Mill pretty indiscriminately! These halvah coated pecans were a 10/10.

Take-out steak soft tacos from our local Mexican place. With zucchini, chopped tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce.

Noodle bowls loosely inspired by Khao Soi. Hand-cut noodles / shredded chicken breast / brothy sauce with coconut milk, red curry paste, and chicken broth / dinosaur kale sauteed with shallots, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar / topped with tons of cashews and chili crisp.

Caribbean-inspired rice and beans (brown rice cooked with yellow onion, habanero pepper, coconut milk, chicken broth, and dark red kidney beans) / roasted broccoli / curried chicken salad (shredded chicken with mayo, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, sauteed onion, dried cranberries, salt and pepper, and Jamaican curry powder). I topped my bowl with pineapple Blind Betty’s hot sauce and the whole thing was divine.

Squash Your Winter Blues

It’s a short work-week for me because tonight I head to Ohio to celebrate my grandmother’s NINETY-FOURTH birthday! She moved into an assisted living facility that she loves since I last saw her and I am so excited to catch-up!

Highlights from an incredibly tasty week…

Pumpkin smoothie – pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, maple syrup, cinnamon, and ice.

We consumed our spookiest pumpkin beers while watching Goosebumps (Roadsmary’s Baby – 9/10 and Howling Gourds – Adam’s favorite). Also mystery-flavor, black-tinted Fanta!

I made a batch of the best-ever pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

It’s Pumpkin Month but my apple line-up was top-notch. Snap Dragon, Cosmic Crisp, and Lady Alice.

These Trader Joe’s Crunchy Curls are probably the most satisfying snack food; 12/10, perfect crunch, texture, and flavor.

How cute are these little strawberry gummies I found at Target??!

Pumpkin chili! Ground turkey, pink beans, yellow onion, bell peppers, chicken broth, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper, urfa chili, gochugaru, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Topped with cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalopenos.

Plus we snacked on Trader Joe’s pumpkin tortilla chips with salsa while we cooked.

Egg tofu with mushroom gravy. I used shitake and brown beech mushrooms and served on top of riced cauliflower. We loved this (especially topped with Sriracha and chili crisp).

Winter veggie sheet-pan hash. I roasted butternut squash, Trader Joe’s cruciferous crunch mix, and chicken and mushroom sausages with sweet and spicy candied pecans and sharp-cheddar. Topped with a miso maple mustard vinaigrette.

Maple Month?!

Highlights from the week…

Pumpkin protein smoothie. Pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, vanilla protein powder, maple, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Pumpkin beers. We served these in a glasses with a cinnamon brown sugar rim!

Chobani pumpkin spice Greek yogurt with caramel apple granola and jumbo blueberries.

I also enjoyed the pumpkin crisp Flip.

A trio of maple treats! Maple is a year-round food (too good to limit to one month!) but it was fun to do a theme dessert. These were all wonderful, by the way, the candy bar was one of the best we’ve ever had.

Cocktail chip hour a la Trader Joe’s – their best potato chips with everything and the elote dip.

Spicy pumpkin pasta. Whole-wheat elbows with sauteed ground turkey with sour cream, pumpkin puree, and chili crisp. Plus roasted baby cauliflower.

Trader Joe’s spicy pumpkin samosas (11/10!) with roasted orange and purple cauliflower. I made a dipping sauce with sour cream, maple, harissa, and lime.

Macaroni and cheese cups with leftover cauliflower and a buffalo-ranch sauce.

P.S. Fellow millennials – We have been loving the new Goosebumps series and highly recommend it! So campy but sweet and we really like they way they’ve fit multiple titles into one cohesive story. P.P.S. Hubie Halloween on Netflix is also delightful.