Um, yeah, so this is the best use I have ever seen of used rubber tires, potters included.
This is the buffalo. My personal favorite, but you've got to see them all.
Oct 12, 2011
Sep 27, 2011
Ireland has good food?
According to my personal experience with Irish food, being Irish and being served my mother's one Irish dish-- stew: Boiled potatoes, carrots, and beef, in MAYBE a beef stock, (sorry, mom) I was not particularly excited about eating on my upcoming trip to visit a friend living in Cork. Oh, contrairghe. (See how I made up that word, there? Every Gailic word is spelled some Gailic way that has no foundation in pronunciation, and so reading is nearly impossible- case in point, my invented French-Irish word). ANYHOO...
Upon being in Cork for merely a day, my monkey (I'll explain later), Laura, told me about, and brought me to the English Market.
Did you see that? The "Food Capital of Ireland"? I mean, did it just so happen that Laura moved to Cork, of all places, and just failed to mention that it's the FOOD CAPITAL! Now, I have to admit, even seeing it in big bold letters on that sign didn't remove my skepticism. I mean, Ireland, really? But, after meeting some locals, I learned that the influx of international imports (people AND food) in the past 10 years has brought a veritable food revolution to Ireland, and Cork, having a Port, has experienced the best of it! Now, I'm not trying to outpace Dublin in this review, but, speaking from experience, Cork fit my bill- full.
So, to show you how popular this eatery in the English market is, we waited in this line (if you don't get here before 11:30am, you will wait).
The well-worthwhile wait was for ...... BANOFFI! "What is Banoffi?" you ask. Well, allow me to show you, instead.
Oh, yeah, that's right. Graham cracker crust, dulce de leche caramel, banana disks, and pudding-like whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate. Can you taste it? Here, let me help you envision.
You could say I like it, but that would be a delicious understatement.
One bite, and I couldn't stand the fork being in the way any longer...
So, with breakfast under our belts, literally, we took off to see the rest of what the city has to offer. Stay tuned for the next post, to see more art, architecture, food, thrifting, and food, from Cork, Ireland.
Mangia the Emerald Isle!
Nov 8, 2010
Caracas: Arepa Bar; 291 Grand Street New York, NY 11211 (718) 218-6050
Arepa, who? Arepa, you! Me? Couldn't be! Then, who? YOU!
That's how much fun I had, seriously. They literally call this sauce the always enigmatic spicy chimi-churri sauce. Order by number- A20 - La Sureña as if grilled chicken and chorizo, weren't enough, you get avocado slices, and, of course, the sauce! Yah, amazing.
These were insanely reasonable, satiating, and just, what?! Mojito Mayo!!!! Yes!!!!!! I will have the rest! I ate them all before I could even take a picture.
But, literally, the cream of the crop was the guac. I swear there is crack in it. Or, perhaps that was the sweet delicious Venezuelan Rum they gave me a dollar shot of with my amazingly delicious beer. What? I am not an alcoholic, I am just food and drink obsessed!
But, heck, so is Laura, so all is right with the world. For me, anyway. Love to Mangia!
That's how much fun I had, seriously. They literally call this sauce the always enigmatic spicy chimi-churri sauce. Order by number- A20 - La Sureña as if grilled chicken and chorizo, weren't enough, you get avocado slices, and, of course, the sauce! Yah, amazing.
| Tostones Mochimeros Fried Green Plantains topped with Mojito Mayo, a squeeze of lemon and white cheese | $4.50 |
But, heck, so is Laura, so all is right with the world. For me, anyway. Love to Mangia!
Samurai Mama: 205 Grande Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211: ph:718.599.6161
You get a sampling of wasabi soy (takes the work out, which is nice), ginger soy, and soy. Mmmm, girls gotta love options!
The lemongrass iced tea, and the personal pot of Genmai Cha were the perfect companions to our oodles of noodles, both with side of "pickled japanese veggies", and huge chunks of fatty pork, but only tempura and veggie broth, for the vegetarians. Divine. Can't wait to return when it snows!
Oct 20, 2010
Osteria Il Paiolo
The owner and staff spared no expense, bringing a plate of freshly baked foccacia, literally the softest, freshest I have tasted outside of Italy, and inside a fresh sundried tomato, aside slices of Mortadelo, that oh-so delicious Italian version of bologna. This one had nuts? Pistachios? Creamy, meaty, down right tasty.
To start I chose a Barbaretto? Some lovely roll-off your spaghetti tongue name for a cocktail of Grappa, Limoncello, Sour mix, and prosecco- strong, gin-ish, and just the right mix of sweet, sour, bubbly, and liquor.The pieta for me was an eggplant puree on crostini. What looked like Chicalicious's perfectly scooped oval of ice-cream, and could have passed for patee, was actually a heavenly, perfectly spiced combination of eggplant, some undisclosed pepper (jalapeno or peperoncini, the bartender stating there is only so much the chef will divulge) for a gentle and loving kick, garlic, and who knows what other creamy delicious ingredient, making this terrifically addicting.
Tempted to fill up on aperitivos, and have a few oysters, but the oysters not being in season yet, the bartender spoke highly of the baby shark, braised in olive oil, white wine, capers, lemon, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and whole roasted mini shallots. So, I gave it a try. Texture of shark being similar to lobster, I was an instant fan, and being cooked in a fillet around the cartilage, gave it that extra touch of flavor. Here again enter the slight touch of spicy- rounding out each bite, and leaving you desiring more.
For my meal I was led to a Michelle Chiarlo 2007 Barbera D'Asti red, dry and complexly structured, not typical for fish, but was a nice balance to the meaty texture, and luscious red sauce of the shark.
The company was excellent, with neighbors who have seen this establishment change hands thrice in the past two years, but all feel very confident this slice di Napoli is here to stay.
Throw Away the Scale
I have gotten a bit fed-up with women weighing themselves every day.
Noone wants to hear how many pounds you weigh, about as much as you do not want to see those numbers.
More importantly, it does not matter.
I can completely understand, if you are on an extensive weight-loss regimen, those daily accomplishments are very important milestones in your progress, and are empowering to numerically account for success.
However, if you are one of those women who is on no regimen, no program of consciously choosing what you put and do not put into your body, or how much you excercise, please throw the scale away. If the obsession with punishing yourself with the literal amount heavier you are after a binge eating session the night before, STOP torturing yourself!
It does nothing for you self-esteem and motivation to see for your own eyes those few pounds you gained from last nights chocolate cake binge, or the office party platter you couldn't resist.
Stop beating yourself up!
Decadent treats come around. It is a fact of life. And, thank God! If their were none, we would only have food issues when we are PMS'ing. Why can't we enjoy them when they are presented before us, and go on living our lives. For example: it was one of the women's birthday at my office the other day, and, being busy for most of the day, she set her chocolate cake on top of the water cooler, for people to take whenever they so chose. There was an uproar amongst the women over why anyone would tempt the poor pound-shedding obsessed with such a sisyphusian torment whilst they are simply coming to get the only calorie-free filler they are allowed- good 'ole H20!
Stop dwelling on caloric intake! Eat food, not too much, mostly greens. If you follow this, you will feel good, you will keep eating well, and you will feel the pounds shed, as opposed to needing a piece of machinery to tell you how you should feel today.
I always remember my high school health teacher, Mrs. Vitali, teaching us about the nutrients we need each day. Her principle was basically what Weight Watchers teaches now, as far as I can see; when you fill up your stomach on good stuff, you have no room left for the bad. She condoned us having snack foods, once we ate real food, first. It's a very old concept, one that your parents taught you at dinner. You can only have desert if you finish your dinner. That should be the rule, because once you fill up on the whole foods, you don't have room for the sugars, and salts, and frieds.
Easy for me to say, most of my friends would say, "you workout for like five hours a day." Completely untrue. I do, when I am blessed with enough time in my day, spend two hours at the gym, but that is very seldom. But, I have also trained my body, over the years, not to focus on that one piece of cake, because there will be another one after it, so you better make room, belly!
I am not condoning over-eating, by any means. Please, don't get me wrong. But, people do have different metabolisms, and we can only help so much by dieting; excercise must come into play, too!
So, drop that scale, and try on a new pair of pants! Try to do something you have never done; try a new workout that you find in a magazine, instead of just getting on the scale. The scale will only tell you what you already know. So, instead of re-confirming with a machine, get out and enjoy life! I promise, you will burn a couple calories doing it, too!
Oh, and don't forget to Mangia el Mundo!
If you ate well for a week, you can have a slice of chocolate cake for breakfast one day, why not? It is just cake! It is meant to be enjoyed!
Maria, thank you for the cake, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As for everyone else, I hope you enjoyed the smell, and the sight of it's beauty. It was delicious! And, now that there is no cake on the water cooler, don't you wish you had some?
Noone wants to hear how many pounds you weigh, about as much as you do not want to see those numbers.
More importantly, it does not matter.
I can completely understand, if you are on an extensive weight-loss regimen, those daily accomplishments are very important milestones in your progress, and are empowering to numerically account for success.
However, if you are one of those women who is on no regimen, no program of consciously choosing what you put and do not put into your body, or how much you excercise, please throw the scale away. If the obsession with punishing yourself with the literal amount heavier you are after a binge eating session the night before, STOP torturing yourself!
It does nothing for you self-esteem and motivation to see for your own eyes those few pounds you gained from last nights chocolate cake binge, or the office party platter you couldn't resist.
Stop beating yourself up!
Decadent treats come around. It is a fact of life. And, thank God! If their were none, we would only have food issues when we are PMS'ing. Why can't we enjoy them when they are presented before us, and go on living our lives. For example: it was one of the women's birthday at my office the other day, and, being busy for most of the day, she set her chocolate cake on top of the water cooler, for people to take whenever they so chose. There was an uproar amongst the women over why anyone would tempt the poor pound-shedding obsessed with such a sisyphusian torment whilst they are simply coming to get the only calorie-free filler they are allowed- good 'ole H20!
Stop dwelling on caloric intake! Eat food, not too much, mostly greens. If you follow this, you will feel good, you will keep eating well, and you will feel the pounds shed, as opposed to needing a piece of machinery to tell you how you should feel today.
I always remember my high school health teacher, Mrs. Vitali, teaching us about the nutrients we need each day. Her principle was basically what Weight Watchers teaches now, as far as I can see; when you fill up your stomach on good stuff, you have no room left for the bad. She condoned us having snack foods, once we ate real food, first. It's a very old concept, one that your parents taught you at dinner. You can only have desert if you finish your dinner. That should be the rule, because once you fill up on the whole foods, you don't have room for the sugars, and salts, and frieds.
Easy for me to say, most of my friends would say, "you workout for like five hours a day." Completely untrue. I do, when I am blessed with enough time in my day, spend two hours at the gym, but that is very seldom. But, I have also trained my body, over the years, not to focus on that one piece of cake, because there will be another one after it, so you better make room, belly!
I am not condoning over-eating, by any means. Please, don't get me wrong. But, people do have different metabolisms, and we can only help so much by dieting; excercise must come into play, too!
So, drop that scale, and try on a new pair of pants! Try to do something you have never done; try a new workout that you find in a magazine, instead of just getting on the scale. The scale will only tell you what you already know. So, instead of re-confirming with a machine, get out and enjoy life! I promise, you will burn a couple calories doing it, too!
Oh, and don't forget to Mangia el Mundo!
If you ate well for a week, you can have a slice of chocolate cake for breakfast one day, why not? It is just cake! It is meant to be enjoyed!
Maria, thank you for the cake, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As for everyone else, I hope you enjoyed the smell, and the sight of it's beauty. It was delicious! And, now that there is no cake on the water cooler, don't you wish you had some?
May 3, 2010
This Iron Statue of a Man
So, if you venture out on a sunny day this spring, be sure to stop by the corner of 23rd and 6th Avenues, just west of Madison Square Park.
There are two, here!
It's like Where's Waldo, but with the iron guy!
See him?
\
What you will find is a bronze statue of a man, apparently a cast of the artist himself in brown iron. There is no inscription, no note telling you who, where, what, when, why? But, if you spend some time surveying the surround building, you will be astonished to find this same statue in about 13 locations around this one central south-facing one on the ground.
And that is just it, these two are on the ground, but the rest of them are not. I will tell you this; look up, and do not be afraid. He is not going to jump.
There are two, here!
I found some humor in the surrounding signs.
It's like Where's Waldo, but with the iron guy!
See him?
\This one's really hard to see.
Or, just go see for yourself! Go eat it up, soak it in.
It just made me wonder, what if he gets hungry?
Mangia!
Busting Myths, and Taking Names; Finding POWER in your Muscles, not Bulk.
Ok, ladies, can you please stop with all this talk about not wanting to look like a body-building man?
Where does this fear come from? Do you see other women at your gym that are so bulky that they look like men? Maybe I am one, ha! Who knows?
THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS:
You are a woman (maybe not, sorry men, just directing this at the women readers), you do not produce enough testosterone to bulk up like a man, unless you take it in steroid form, and YOU ARE NOT A BODY BUILDER, SO YOU WILL NEVER LIFT THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT REQUIRED TO GET YOUR MUSCLES TO LITERALLY POP OUT LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN COMPETITIONS, SO STOP SAYING IT. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN.
But, women who have done extreme conditioning like a lifetime of ballet, or mountain climbing for months at a time, with all of your supplies on your back, DO have a valid question; they got bulkier during that stage of their life, and they don't want that anymore. But, they stop doing ANY excercises on the parts of their bodies they feel got too bulky, and now, they are flabby there, and want tone, but their fear holds them back.
Let go of the fear, and do a new form of exercise for all parts of your body. Your fear has caused you to neglect that part of your body, and allow it to atrophy; we want it to hypertrophy again. (Atrophy is when your muscles get weak and flacid from non-use, and hypertrophy is when your muscles grow in size because they are being torn at their maximum capacity, and re-built).
Also, all too often I get approached with the question of how to get a hot, sexy, plump booty, flat abs, and lean arms and legs. Every one wants to look like someone else. Women, have indescribably particular desires when it comes to our physiques, I get it; I feel you! However, you CANNOT GET THE EXACT BODY YOU WANT, UNLESS THE BODY YOU WANT IS YOUR ACTUAL BODY-TYPE.
STOP WASTING YOUR ENERGY.
http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/bodytype.html
Take stock of the fact that you all have assets that are remarkably unique to yourself. Flaunt your uniqueness. In the process of taking care of yourself, maybe you will forget about who you wanted to look like. But, in the meantime, the best way to be your best physically fit self is...
DO TOTAL BODY WORKOUTS! Your whole body works together to burn fat, and tone up. Focusing on one part is like a company only trying to improve one department. We must strengthen all parts for optimal results.
Simple Solution to both these issues: I will always tell clients that in order to keep your body running at full capacity, like a well- equipped machine, you must challenge it. Like a car that sits in your driveway becuase you take the bus, it's going to need to be re-charged if you want to use it in the same capacity again. My first trainer used the comparison of an army from the World War I fighting a technological battle of today. You have to change up the methods, and tactics, or your body will lose the fight. To put it plainly, if you don't challenge your body in new ways every 8 weeks, you will not make progress. You can maintain your current status forever, but if you are seeking visible differences, you need to do incorporate visible changes to your workout.
So, if ballet or climbing with a 50 pound pack brought you results you did not like, change them!
Don't stop entirely, just adjust.
#1Take stock of what you ACTUALLY do for a workout routine right now. Write it all down, and be honest with yourself.
#2 This is the most important step. Use sites like this, magazines, and other exercise related books to look for exercises that look like they might be enjoyable, and write them down. (I will tear things out of magazines, especially sketches of a stick figure or an actual model doing them, and keep a book of these).
- Pick at least one exercise for every muscle in your body.
- Do the exercises in opposing order, ie: Do a bicep set, and do a tricep set; do a leg extension set, then do a leg curl set. Do a chest excercise, followed by a back excercise.
This way you will keep your body well-rounded, (and who doesn't like a well-rounded person!?)
- How much? Use enough weight so that you can lift it with ease the first rep, but your muscle will be fatigued by the 15th-20th rep.
#3 Change your routine entirely. Pick excercises you just found, and design your own routine at the gym, not allowing yourself to put in anything on your old list. You are gauranteed to not allow yourself to do whatever you were doing before.
#4 Do it! Follow your list for one hour (I would recommend 12 excercises for 5 minutes each), every other day, and see how you feel.
#5 Enjoy the results.
Here is what I suggest for most women, and really is a model to be followed by all for weight loss, and bone mass: WEIGHT TRAINING.
You have to do it. Do it! Follow the steps I described above, and make sure they are all weight bearing.
Anyone with some sneakers can do cardio, and you do enough of that boring crap while you're watching t.v. at the gym.
If you want serious results, and new shape to your body, you have to work it in new ways.
It's just like the definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.
Don't be insane- do something different; then you will justified in expected something else.
Where does this fear come from? Do you see other women at your gym that are so bulky that they look like men? Maybe I am one, ha! Who knows?
THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS:
You are a woman (maybe not, sorry men, just directing this at the women readers), you do not produce enough testosterone to bulk up like a man, unless you take it in steroid form, and YOU ARE NOT A BODY BUILDER, SO YOU WILL NEVER LIFT THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT REQUIRED TO GET YOUR MUSCLES TO LITERALLY POP OUT LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN COMPETITIONS, SO STOP SAYING IT. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN.
But, women who have done extreme conditioning like a lifetime of ballet, or mountain climbing for months at a time, with all of your supplies on your back, DO have a valid question; they got bulkier during that stage of their life, and they don't want that anymore. But, they stop doing ANY excercises on the parts of their bodies they feel got too bulky, and now, they are flabby there, and want tone, but their fear holds them back.
Let go of the fear, and do a new form of exercise for all parts of your body. Your fear has caused you to neglect that part of your body, and allow it to atrophy; we want it to hypertrophy again. (Atrophy is when your muscles get weak and flacid from non-use, and hypertrophy is when your muscles grow in size because they are being torn at their maximum capacity, and re-built).
Also, all too often I get approached with the question of how to get a hot, sexy, plump booty, flat abs, and lean arms and legs. Every one wants to look like someone else. Women, have indescribably particular desires when it comes to our physiques, I get it; I feel you! However, you CANNOT GET THE EXACT BODY YOU WANT, UNLESS THE BODY YOU WANT IS YOUR ACTUAL BODY-TYPE.
STOP WASTING YOUR ENERGY.
http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/bodytype.html
Take stock of the fact that you all have assets that are remarkably unique to yourself. Flaunt your uniqueness. In the process of taking care of yourself, maybe you will forget about who you wanted to look like. But, in the meantime, the best way to be your best physically fit self is...
DO TOTAL BODY WORKOUTS! Your whole body works together to burn fat, and tone up. Focusing on one part is like a company only trying to improve one department. We must strengthen all parts for optimal results.
Simple Solution to both these issues: I will always tell clients that in order to keep your body running at full capacity, like a well- equipped machine, you must challenge it. Like a car that sits in your driveway becuase you take the bus, it's going to need to be re-charged if you want to use it in the same capacity again. My first trainer used the comparison of an army from the World War I fighting a technological battle of today. You have to change up the methods, and tactics, or your body will lose the fight. To put it plainly, if you don't challenge your body in new ways every 8 weeks, you will not make progress. You can maintain your current status forever, but if you are seeking visible differences, you need to do incorporate visible changes to your workout.
So, if ballet or climbing with a 50 pound pack brought you results you did not like, change them!
Don't stop entirely, just adjust.
#1Take stock of what you ACTUALLY do for a workout routine right now. Write it all down, and be honest with yourself.
#2 This is the most important step. Use sites like this, magazines, and other exercise related books to look for exercises that look like they might be enjoyable, and write them down. (I will tear things out of magazines, especially sketches of a stick figure or an actual model doing them, and keep a book of these).
- Pick at least one exercise for every muscle in your body.
- Do the exercises in opposing order, ie: Do a bicep set, and do a tricep set; do a leg extension set, then do a leg curl set. Do a chest excercise, followed by a back excercise.
This way you will keep your body well-rounded, (and who doesn't like a well-rounded person!?)
- How much? Use enough weight so that you can lift it with ease the first rep, but your muscle will be fatigued by the 15th-20th rep.
#3 Change your routine entirely. Pick excercises you just found, and design your own routine at the gym, not allowing yourself to put in anything on your old list. You are gauranteed to not allow yourself to do whatever you were doing before.
#4 Do it! Follow your list for one hour (I would recommend 12 excercises for 5 minutes each), every other day, and see how you feel.
#5 Enjoy the results.
Here is what I suggest for most women, and really is a model to be followed by all for weight loss, and bone mass: WEIGHT TRAINING.
You have to do it. Do it! Follow the steps I described above, and make sure they are all weight bearing.
Anyone with some sneakers can do cardio, and you do enough of that boring crap while you're watching t.v. at the gym.
If you want serious results, and new shape to your body, you have to work it in new ways.
It's just like the definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.
Don't be insane- do something different; then you will justified in expected something else.
Uva
A treasure trove of truffles, Uva is a heaven of delight amongst Italian cuisine addicts.
I wouldn't even call myself that, exactly, but I cannot keep myself from this place for more than a month at a time.
http://www.uvawinebar.com/menu/antipasti/
Their Antipasti menu is smatterd with truffles, by far my absolute favorite ingredient in the world, including a must-try Chisolino (Emilian style focaccia) with… Robiola cheese and black truffles, if you are a decadent cheese fan, and a truffle fan, which, if you're not, just stop reading here. But this is like the lightest, creamiest, oozing slice of truffle party cake you have ever tasted. So rich, we had to take tiny bites between the CULATELLO, oh, the CULATELLO, how I love thee (note: this dish is closest to me in the photo)! If you ever thought prosciutto couldn't get any better, enter the leanest and most tender part of prosciutto; which leaves your buttered-up tongue begging for more, in it's tauntinly paper thin slices of heaven on Earth, that literally melt in your mouth, no kidding, you need not chew, just swirl and savor.
Their Bruschette with Sundried tomato puree, pesto and pine nuts (the orange and green below), was the only thing we tried that happened to not be an instant thrill, but when you have this much goodness going on in your mouth, you can't let one little imperfect bruschette get in your way, right?
POLENTA TARTUFATA: Fresh polenta filled with robiola cheese in a black truffle sauce. It comes out in a little ball, and if you could taste a cloud angels sit on, I am convinced this is what they would taste like; fluffy, soft, creamy, decadent; sinful, really, but in a good way!
Enter CARPACCIO DI TONNO AL SESAMO: Sesame crusted tuna carpaccio with heirloom tomato and frisee- better than a sushi bar, I swear by it, and I am quite the expert in that realm.
What would a Mediterenean meal be without some artichokes? CARCIOFI FRITTI:Fried baby artichokes tossed with garlic oil,rosemary and Parmigiano cheese were tiny little sauteed gems, sweet and savory.
And, you gotta have salad, right? I would recommend that INSALATA DI FUNGHI E SPINACI: Baby spinach and mushroom salad, with Parmigiano cheese shavings, toasted almonds and balsamic dressing is quite light and refreshing when mixed in with heavier Antipasti.
By far, the only problem I have encountered here, is that there are so many delightful things to try, that I have absolutely no desire for a pasta, which I am sure are made on premise, and are just perfect.
Instead, I went even further with the renditions of Prosciutto,and ordered ANELLO DI CAPESANTE E SPECK for my Secondi, Sea scallops wrapped in speck (smoked prosciutto) with sautéed spinach and white wine sauce, fantastic. The perfect balance of protein, and vegetable to balance my cheese and carb laden stomach.
If forced at gunpoint to try another Secondi, it would be a toss-up between COSTE DI MANZO BRASATE: Braised short ribs of beef served off the bone with a pan seared potato and rosemary cake, and VITELLO GRATINATO CON MELANZANE: Veal topped with Italian eggplant and soft pecorino cheese.
Our lovely and sweet waitress was so well-versed on the wine menu, that she actually had found the perfect balance, in their extensive list, of big bold red- my preference, dry red- my guest's, price, and flavor; a near impossibility, I would have imagined. But, she made two suggestions, with ease, and the one she favored dazzled my senses, and balanced the meal with grace and ease.
When you mix that many savory, buttery flavors, with such a palate cleansing punch of a wine that says, "hello, you are alive!", with such an intimate, cozy brick walled setting, charming hosts, and dishes you can never pick poorly, what you end up with is a place you never really want to leave.
As a matter of fact, I want to go back, right now. I would try, this time; VITELLO TONNATO:Thin slices of veal topped with tuna sauce and capers garnished with Frisee and grape tomatoes- sounds divine.
You must go!
Mangia!
Apr 29, 2010
Rebounding!!!
No, I am not talking about immediately dating another man after you break up with your loser man.
I'm talking about JUMPING! ON A TRAMPOLINE! It's more fun than when you did it as a kid, because now it serves a purpose that we all want.... AN EXCELLENT, FUN WORKOUT!
So, previously a huge fan of kickboxing, but not wanting to be so jarring on my spine, due to a herniated disc surgery, I was, actually chaning in the locker room one night, when a woman ran in to change hurriedly. She asked if I was also in a rush to get to Jim's class. I wasn't, but she said it was such a fun workout, and that you dripped with sweat. So, I just went. Even showing up late, I knew from the start, this was going to be amazing.
So, about forty or so mini trampolines are set up around the floor, pop music mixes are played, that the class also chants along to at key chorus lines. You are told to jump slightly, so you rebound back to the trampoline, and work your muscles while controlling your jumps. You truly have no idea you are even working out, it is so fun. Girls even go in groups, and add their own dance-like movements to some of the basic jumps.
Also found this website detailing the health benefits; you MUST try this!
http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/rebounding-for-detoxification-and-health.htm
ENORMOUS calorie-burning FUN! Several gyms in the city offer this class, and I have attended the New York Health and Raquet Club's Wednesday night class. I ate it up! I am instantly addicted.
FYI; this is not me.Mangia!
I'm talking about JUMPING! ON A TRAMPOLINE! It's more fun than when you did it as a kid, because now it serves a purpose that we all want.... AN EXCELLENT, FUN WORKOUT!
So, previously a huge fan of kickboxing, but not wanting to be so jarring on my spine, due to a herniated disc surgery, I was, actually chaning in the locker room one night, when a woman ran in to change hurriedly. She asked if I was also in a rush to get to Jim's class. I wasn't, but she said it was such a fun workout, and that you dripped with sweat. So, I just went. Even showing up late, I knew from the start, this was going to be amazing.
So, about forty or so mini trampolines are set up around the floor, pop music mixes are played, that the class also chants along to at key chorus lines. You are told to jump slightly, so you rebound back to the trampoline, and work your muscles while controlling your jumps. You truly have no idea you are even working out, it is so fun. Girls even go in groups, and add their own dance-like movements to some of the basic jumps.
Also found this website detailing the health benefits; you MUST try this!
http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/rebounding-for-detoxification-and-health.htm
ENORMOUS calorie-burning FUN! Several gyms in the city offer this class, and I have attended the New York Health and Raquet Club's Wednesday night class. I ate it up! I am instantly addicted.
FYI; this is not me.
Vitamin D- Essential for your Happiness, and your Bone Mass
Heads up ladies, here is something you must be aware of, today.
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx
My gynecologist told me at my last appointment that my body will stop absorbing Vitamin D at age 32, so I had better start pumping myself with it. As crazy as it sounded, and perhaps a bit far-fetched with the terminal date, I did some research, and decided to start taking a supplement.
Studies show that we are not getting enough Vitamin D, and while food is fortified with it, as women, we need it more, to help us fight off depression, and the onslaught of menopausal and pre-menstrual moods. ou need it to combat
Whoah!!!!!! Who is in charge of letting us know????! Um, I am, for now!
"Researchers are discovering that D also promotes normal cell growth and differentiation throughout the body, working as a key factor in maintaining hormonal balance and a healthy immune system. It appears that calcitriol actually becomes part of the physical composition of cells, assisting in the buildup and breakdown of healthy tissue — in other words, regulating the processes that keep you well.
What’s more, evidence from studies tracking the prevalence of disease by geography and nationality shows clear links between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, certain cancers, and depression. Since most of these problems take many years to manifest, vitamin D deficiency has been overlooked by many providers for a very long time. I test all of my patients, and have been surprised to find that more than 85% come up with a vitamin D deficiency.
Your body can’t create vitamin D on its own. Instead, it’s designed to make it through sun exposure. In theory, you can make an ample supply of vitamin D with as little as a couple of hours per week in the sun — provided the UVB rays are strong enough. You can also ingest D through food, especially fatty fish like wild–harvested salmon. Plus, lots of foods are fortified nowadays, so vitamin D deficiency should be an easy problem to solve, right? But the truth is, we’re just not getting enough, and so many of us aren’t even close....
It’s important to note that we lose some of our ability to synthesize and absorb vitamin D as we age. As we grow older and our skin thins, the amount of the vitamin D precursor (a derivative of cholesterol) in it decreases, too. Women entering perimenopause and menopause, when there can be accelerated bone loss, can slow bone loss by getting enough vitamin D on board."
So, my advice is to start taking a supplement today.
Your bones, and hormones will thank you later.
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx
My gynecologist told me at my last appointment that my body will stop absorbing Vitamin D at age 32, so I had better start pumping myself with it. As crazy as it sounded, and perhaps a bit far-fetched with the terminal date, I did some research, and decided to start taking a supplement.
Studies show that we are not getting enough Vitamin D, and while food is fortified with it, as women, we need it more, to help us fight off depression, and the onslaught of menopausal and pre-menstrual moods. ou need it to combat
Whoah!!!!!! Who is in charge of letting us know????! Um, I am, for now!
"Researchers are discovering that D also promotes normal cell growth and differentiation throughout the body, working as a key factor in maintaining hormonal balance and a healthy immune system. It appears that calcitriol actually becomes part of the physical composition of cells, assisting in the buildup and breakdown of healthy tissue — in other words, regulating the processes that keep you well.
What’s more, evidence from studies tracking the prevalence of disease by geography and nationality shows clear links between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, certain cancers, and depression. Since most of these problems take many years to manifest, vitamin D deficiency has been overlooked by many providers for a very long time. I test all of my patients, and have been surprised to find that more than 85% come up with a vitamin D deficiency.
Your body can’t create vitamin D on its own. Instead, it’s designed to make it through sun exposure. In theory, you can make an ample supply of vitamin D with as little as a couple of hours per week in the sun — provided the UVB rays are strong enough. You can also ingest D through food, especially fatty fish like wild–harvested salmon. Plus, lots of foods are fortified nowadays, so vitamin D deficiency should be an easy problem to solve, right? But the truth is, we’re just not getting enough, and so many of us aren’t even close....
It’s important to note that we lose some of our ability to synthesize and absorb vitamin D as we age. As we grow older and our skin thins, the amount of the vitamin D precursor (a derivative of cholesterol) in it decreases, too. Women entering perimenopause and menopause, when there can be accelerated bone loss, can slow bone loss by getting enough vitamin D on board."
So, my advice is to start taking a supplement today.
Your bones, and hormones will thank you later.
Apr 26, 2010
Friends over Snapper
Our mission was simple; spend the evening gossipping, and cooking. What better way to spend after work hours with a fabulous soul, not hitting the bar scene, on a Thursday night.
Food and Wine magazine proves to be the failsafe once again, with it's Red Snapper and Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Dish.
A curry by nature, this dish was far from ordinary. The only obstacle in our way: getting our ingredients after work, but before the shops close, annd before we resort to eating all the ingredients before cooking. Not having read the recipe thoroughly before purchasing, we spent 3/4 of our time searching for Cardamom, Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel seeds, only to find out later that they were all to be ground, anyway, and without a seed press, making it a bit more difficult to find the humor in our hunt, in the second to last step of the process. We never did come across Cardamom, in any form, either, so that ingredient was omitted, and I must add that insisting on a Sauvignon Blanc, when the recipe called for a dry white wine, was entirely the fault of my own. Also, if fish markets on the Upper East side could sell fish for any more per pound, it would be like buying filets of gold. $29.99 for a pound of Red Snapper, ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Unfortunately, that fish man was not kidding whatsoever, but fortunately, my lovely kitchen host considered it worth her while to buy the fish. She is truly quite the darling. Here is the beauty we selected.
I am truly grateful I love Astoria, for there is no way I would ever be abel to pay the astronomical fees the UES hosts, like for a $2.99 bundle of cilantro, a $.67 lemon, and you cannot even guess how much the jumbo lump crabmeat would have costed, had we not opted for faux-crab, or frab, which is just as juicy, just not as segmented as the real deal.
Overall, the scents, and beauty of the dish were delicious and gorgeous, as was my co-conspirator herself. Plus, the topics discussed, and time spent completing a meal together, priceless.
So, first we were to make the fish broth. To a tbs. of butter, we sauteed sliced onion, 2 garlic bulbs, 1/2 a star Anise bulb, and a 1" slice of ginger "smashed". We really added several discs, after realizing I had, once again, not read the directions thoroughly enough. Woopsies! Once that had sauteed, we added 1/4 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup of fish sauce (a wise chef, Suriyan Nanian of the Master Thai Chef Cookery Course in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which I highly recommend ( brotherchef@hotmail.com), once told me, when buying fish sauce, look for sardines being the main ingredient. I assume this is similar to looking for whole grains being the most substantial ingredient of your bread), 2 kafir lime leaves (not available at the local grocery on the UES (though I have found them at Kalustyan's on 2nd Ave around 25th? I think), so we substituted, as advised, with two full zest peels from a lime), and 11 sprigs of cilantro and 2 basil sprigs (trust me, they cook down! I think we just added a whole bunch). Once that boils, you are to add 2 cups of water, and let it boil.
Meanwhile, you make the crab sautee. You first heat your 1/4 tbs's of cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel, and star Anise, and set it aside. You are then supposed to puree the above seeds, but as we had mostly powders, and no blender, we just heated the powders and folded them in. You sautee in 1 tbs oil one small chopped red onion, more cilantro, and fold the crab into all of the spices you warmed up. Note; the aromas are in full gear, now!
Then, you salt and pepper the Red Snapper, and pan fry it in 1 tbs oil on skin side down until it is cooked 1/2 way, then flip it, and cook for another 5 minutes. This is hard to tell, so we stabbed it in the center a little, a highly technical procedure.
You serve the crab mixture on the plate first, then add the Snapper, skins side up, and then you spoon on the fish broth. Huge rings of onions, and mounds of green herbs float in the savory bath of dinner!
The Sauce has reduced...
Tangy, saucey, moist, delicous combo.
Thanks for sharing your fun home with me, tonight, friend. I love you!
As for the rest of you; don't just read it, do it!
Mangia Red Snapper tonight, and reconnect with a person you are honored to have in your life. Your friend, and your tastebuds will thank you. As for your wallet, eh, you could try the same dish out for less on the LES.
Food and Wine magazine proves to be the failsafe once again, with it's Red Snapper and Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Dish.
A curry by nature, this dish was far from ordinary. The only obstacle in our way: getting our ingredients after work, but before the shops close, annd before we resort to eating all the ingredients before cooking. Not having read the recipe thoroughly before purchasing, we spent 3/4 of our time searching for Cardamom, Coriander, Cumin, and Fennel seeds, only to find out later that they were all to be ground, anyway, and without a seed press, making it a bit more difficult to find the humor in our hunt, in the second to last step of the process. We never did come across Cardamom, in any form, either, so that ingredient was omitted, and I must add that insisting on a Sauvignon Blanc, when the recipe called for a dry white wine, was entirely the fault of my own. Also, if fish markets on the Upper East side could sell fish for any more per pound, it would be like buying filets of gold. $29.99 for a pound of Red Snapper, ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Unfortunately, that fish man was not kidding whatsoever, but fortunately, my lovely kitchen host considered it worth her while to buy the fish. She is truly quite the darling. Here is the beauty we selected.
Overall, the scents, and beauty of the dish were delicious and gorgeous, as was my co-conspirator herself. Plus, the topics discussed, and time spent completing a meal together, priceless.
So, first we were to make the fish broth. To a tbs. of butter, we sauteed sliced onion, 2 garlic bulbs, 1/2 a star Anise bulb, and a 1" slice of ginger "smashed". We really added several discs, after realizing I had, once again, not read the directions thoroughly enough. Woopsies! Once that had sauteed, we added 1/4 cup of white wine, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup of fish sauce (a wise chef, Suriyan Nanian of the Master Thai Chef Cookery Course in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which I highly recommend ( brotherchef@hotmail.com), once told me, when buying fish sauce, look for sardines being the main ingredient. I assume this is similar to looking for whole grains being the most substantial ingredient of your bread), 2 kafir lime leaves (not available at the local grocery on the UES (though I have found them at Kalustyan's on 2nd Ave around 25th? I think), so we substituted, as advised, with two full zest peels from a lime), and 11 sprigs of cilantro and 2 basil sprigs (trust me, they cook down! I think we just added a whole bunch). Once that boils, you are to add 2 cups of water, and let it boil.
Meanwhile, you make the crab sautee. You first heat your 1/4 tbs's of cardamom, cumin, coriander, fennel, and star Anise, and set it aside. You are then supposed to puree the above seeds, but as we had mostly powders, and no blender, we just heated the powders and folded them in. You sautee in 1 tbs oil one small chopped red onion, more cilantro, and fold the crab into all of the spices you warmed up. Note; the aromas are in full gear, now!
You serve the crab mixture on the plate first, then add the Snapper, skins side up, and then you spoon on the fish broth. Huge rings of onions, and mounds of green herbs float in the savory bath of dinner!
The Sauce has reduced...
Tangy, saucey, moist, delicous combo.Thanks for sharing your fun home with me, tonight, friend. I love you!
As for the rest of you; don't just read it, do it!
Mangia Red Snapper tonight, and reconnect with a person you are honored to have in your life. Your friend, and your tastebuds will thank you. As for your wallet, eh, you could try the same dish out for less on the LES.
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