Memories..are made of this...

What's this??? It's a cheddar cheese biscuit from Red Lobster. But in all honesty, it's more than that. It brings back memories from Red Lobster back in Pensacola, Florida. It reminds me of enjoying lunch with someone I thought I would be with for forever...thinking laughter that was all I needed in life... Well...fast forward a few years. The reality is that laughter IS all I need in life. So here's to laughter...cheers!

Mexican?

Dish: Combination Plate
Restaurant: Cabo at Aliante Station Casino
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Price: around $12
Description: I chose a chicken taquito, cheese enchilada, and a chicken tamale with black beans and rice.
Fun facts: There are many options for this plate. You can choose 2, 3, or 4 items and each combination comes with rice an either refried or black beans. Choices include tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tamales, etc.

I wanted to eat at the restaurant I was about to start working at...to taste the food, check out the uniforms, and such. I wanted to sneak in without my new manager seeing me, but I was not that lucky. The meal started with chips and salsa. There were 3 different dips/salsas. Bean dip (made with pork lard) and 2 different salsas.

On to dinner...my overall impression... It was bland. I love spicy food and this was NOT spicy at all. It made me miss Monterrey's Mexican Grill back in Pensacola, FL. Would I recommend this place??? Well, yes...I do work there. The food is decent, but this is the only restaurant where you can come see........ME!!! :)

"Chai...coffee...chai..."

My very first cup of Chai tea...in New Delhi, India. All I can say is...wow. It was absolutely delicious.

Throughout my 15 or so days in India I had the pleasure of drinking numerous cups of chai. On the train, at restaurants, at hotels, in people's homes, at a tailor shop, at jewelry shops...I have since tried to make it at home. Something just seems to be missing. Maybe it's the call of the chai man, the sight of the wandering cows, or something else I just cannot put my finger on. All I know is that I look forward to my next cup of Chai in India.

Hisashiburi....

OK...so it's been a long time since I have posted anything. I could spout off numerous excuses, but no one really cares about that. No one even cares about this blog...yet. Who knows what 2012 will bring...hopefully more adventures with food at least. I have many food pictures from my travels to post...so someone, anyone...keep your eye out for new posts. I promise they are coming...

Curry!

Dish: Curry

Restaurant: My apartment

Location: Fukuyama, Japan

Price: Under 1000 Yen

Description: Vegetable curry. Created from a mix with some extra added spices. Hard boiled eggs were added at the end.

Fun facts: Any vegetable can be used - my favorite for curry - pumpkin.

Simple but delicious. 

Donburi?

Dish: Donburi

Restaurant: Hamburg

Location: Fukuyama, Japan

Price: 880 Yen

Description: A rich dish of chicken with cream sauce served over rice. Just to make it even better - it's topped with a little cheese.

Fun facts: This restaurant specializes in hamburgers. It's important to note that the hamburgers are beef and pork. 

The restaurant was cute inside - very cozy. The donburi was a little salty. Would I go back? Maybe.

Oh...my...curried noodles.

Dish: Curried Noodles with Bell Peppers

Restaurant: My apartment

Location: Fukuyama, Japan

Price: ~1000 Yen

Description: A deliciously sweet and slightly spicy dish that is easy to make - pasta with red and green bell peppers, scallions, a few bean sprouts, coconut milk and some amazing spices. 

Fun facts: This recipe can be altered to suit your tastes- add more vegetables, less coconut milk for a thicker sauce, or more sriracha for more kick.

Ingredients

Spaghetti (about the diameter of a 50cent piece)

1 can of Coconut Milk

1/3 of a Red Bell Pepper

1/2 of a Green Bell Pepper

2 Scallions (both the white and green parts)

A small handful of bean sprouts

2 Tbsp Sake

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Mirin

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1/4 Vegetable Oil

1 Tsp Turmeric

1 Tsp Ground Coriander

1 Tbsp Sriracha

1/2 Tsp Paprika

1 Tsp Salt

1. Fill a large pan with water and place over high heat - heat to boiling.
2. Meanwhile, remove the seeds and white parts of the peppers and slice them into strips. Do the same for the scallions.
3. Put all of the spices( coriander, turmeric, paprika, salt, sugar) into a small bowl. Mix the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sriracha in another bowl.
4. Place the vegetable oil into a sauce pan over medium heat. 
5. Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package. Rinse the pasta in cold water.
6. Add the red and green bell peppers, scallions, and bean sprouts to the oil.
7. Add the spices and liquid mixture as well. 
8. Simmer/stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. 
9. Then, add the spaghetti.
10. Simmer for 2 minutes.
11. Add the coconut milk and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. 
12. ENJOY!

After a full day of work (8 classes), making this recipe was a breeze. It didn't take too long...maybe 30 minutes tops. It was comforting - sweet and a touch spicy.