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Picture 5 from 5:

You’ve heard all of the hype of cooking with seasonal and local ingredients. And there are reasons for it: it’s healthier, eco-friendly and it reconnects people with, not only their food and planet, but each other. I like to cook; otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing what I do. And I only want to offer myself and others the best – needless to say, I’m a believer. Read more »

 

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Picture 1 from 9: Made in Florida, but certainly loved by this beach town.

While on a weekend trip away from the Big Apple, I shot some photos of some beachy snacks, signs and even seaweed!

This simple salad made of blanched farmer’s market green beans, sliced radishes and imported sardines, dressed with a little red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil was delicious!  I ordered it at a small Italian restaurant in my neighborhood that serves mostly small plates.

And while I love going out to eat (almost 5 nights a week!), I might skip the visit to the restaurant next time I want this and just making it at home because it would be so easy to make myself.  I think I might even throw in some chopped Kalamata olives to my version!

I usually don’t work on Mondays and love to go out for breakfast or lunch by myself, a good book in hand.  Last Monday, I decided to go to my neighborhood Spanish tapas restaurant and take advantage of their happy hour special–$1 oysters from 5-7pm!  I cannot think of a better way to spend a Monday afternoon.

Instead of regular old French fries, a small taco stand in my neighborhood serves these–deep fried strips of yucca with chipotle ketchup and jalapeno mayo dipping sauces.  Muy delicioso!  Washed down with a cold cerveza, this was a really great snack.  Although, eating two tacos and half a torta with them, did put me over the edge…

 

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Picture 1 from 4: English lavender, lemon thyme and tarragon make up this box of scents!

Remember that post about the rooftop garden I was going to plant?  Well, it is in full swing now and here are some photos of the season’s best!

 

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Picture 1 from 4: Vietnamese jewelry designers will help you choose a piece of jewelry or custom-design something for you while you wait!

At Bahn Mi Saigon Bakery, you can get great Vietnamese sandwiches and handmade jewelry! While waiting for your sandwich to be made (and if it’s during the lunch hour, that wait might be 30 minutes), you can have one of the women who work in the front of the shop create a one-of-a-kind beaded bracelet or necklace for you.

This shop which is part jewelry store and part sandwich shop is just a tiny, narrow storefront in NYC’s Chinatown neighborhood.  Tucked between street vendor stalls selling fresh produce, if you didn’t know there was a bakery in the back, you’d never think to stop in for one of the city’s best bahn mi because the window display offers nothing but jewelry!

Who cares about mashed potatoes when you can get an even better version of the famous spud.  Purchased somewhere in Idaho, and brought back to me by a friend, this coconut-sprinkled, chocolate-covered and cocoa-marshmallow filled candy bar was AWESOME!!!  I could eat a hundred of these things!

 

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Picture 1 from 3: In addition to the dozen or so regular flavors on offer, Earl Grey Tea was the daily special.

On a side street in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood parks an artisanal ice cream truck called Van Leeuwen.  The flavors are pretty straight-forward: mint-chip, pistachio and chocolate, for example.  But, the ingredients are not.  Each flavor is made with incredibly high quality products–Sicilian pistachios and Michel Cluizel chocolates to name a few.  The creme de la creme of ice cream, if you will.  And for nearly $5 a cone, they should be!

I grew up drinking this drink, as it was a favorite in my childhood friend Ali’s household.  Her mother, who was a great cook, turned me on to lots of Cuban treats (like chicken soup made with chicken feet and boiled yucca!). Guanabana nectar is made from the juice of the soursop fruit, and it is thick like pear juice, but has a mild pineapple flavor.  It is very commonly found in the Caribbean, Central America and Southeast Asia, and washes down spicy tacos or chili-laden noodles quite well because its cooling qualities counteract the effects of hot peppers.  The can in the photo accompanied a jalapeno-laced pork sandwich, which was a life-saver for my burning tongue!