The Simple Joys in the Meal of Life

Hahaha! I know, I know. That title is a clunker. Apologies.

Seriously, though, I was just snacking on a bowl of instant noodle soup that really hit the spot and it struck me - no matter what other options you have available, sometimes you just want that damn bowl of instant ramen. Even after a "famous," "gourmet" burger dinner, the ramen was somehow just what I needed.

Slurpin'

...On that train of thought, the "simple" slushie treat I had today from the Kelvin Natural Slush Co. truck really hit the spot, too. Natural, grown-up flavored slush? Yes, please! I wish that there were more Kelvin trucks around. (Ahem! Queens!) My ginger slush with white peach puree mixed in was far more refreshing and satisfying than the milkshake I had with dinner. Kelvin may have convinced me that slush should be my summer treat of choice. [However, to be fair to the shakes of the world, I have to admit that I didn't think that the milkshake in question was a good representative of milkshake-kind as a whole. It was too thin and was not cold enough.]

Hey, it took a lot of frozen treat fuel to score a shot like this, okay!?

And no, your eyes did not deceive you. I did have both a milkshake and a slush in the same evening.

That's how I roll.


But don't worry, I waddled off all the calories on the Highline. Plus, I shared with BF.

Food That Teases: Hors d'oeuvres, High Prices and Hype

Whew! Food-wise it's been a busy week. I've had the opportunity to scratch a few items off of my culinary to-do list.

Patio @ Cavo

Last Tuesday, BF and I were treated to a free evening of cocktails and Greek tidbits (courtesy of the Queens Yelp Elite Event) at Cavo in Astoria. It was my first Yelp Elite Event and I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by how nice the venue and entire evening were. Food and drink can take all the awkwardness out of lounging with strangers, especially booze and passed hors d'oeuvres.

Crowd @ C

Small bites always seem more tantalizing, in my opinion. They leave you wanting more! I got to nibble on some tender fried calamari, a skewer of chicken souvlaki, a crab cake, pita triangles with yogurt and quite a few meatballs.

Calamari, Souvlaki & Pita

This may sound ridiculous, but in my 25 years of life I don't think I've ever technically had chicken souvlaki before that evening. Yes, I've had chicken kebabs and beef souvlaki, but never chicken souvlaki. Just goes to show that I've got a lot of eating left to do as I discussed last post.

Also, I found out that watching bellydancers is quite good for one's appetite. Maybe it's all that attention on the stomachs?



Memorial Day was spent with two of my oldest, dearest friends waddling around that other NYC borough. You know the one. Anyway, after joyriding on the Staten Island ferry to catch a breeze and a view, we found ourselves at Eataly and later Shake Shack.

Oh Eataly, you hurt so good. It was painful how many things looked delicious. I can't believe it took me this long to make it there and am equally incredulous that I controlled myself and didn't walk out with any purchases. Probably my church-mouse status was a contributing factor.

I really wanted that $12 bottle of sciroppo di latte di mandorle (almond milk syrup) so I could reminisce about my Rome adventures. And the package of prosciutto, the ball of fresh mozz, the squid's ink spaghetti, the jar of crema di pistacchi e cioccolato, the absolutely flawless petite eggplants... Sigh.

Ultimately, we left with hungry tummies after determining it would be too expensive to get our proper fill at those gourmet prices. Thus, we crossed the street for some Memorial Day appropriate burgers 'n shakes instead of splurging on the paste, salumi e vino that were teasing us.

After hearing all kinds of "Shake Shack is the messiah" buzz, I was naturally eager to see what was what. It was certainly an experience. That line is no joke, but good company made it tolerable. We had to endure yet more teasing as we waited and contemplated. I loved their idea of a deep-fried, cheesey portobello mushroom on top of a burger, though I think it could be executed better than it was. Great idea, decent reality. The hype was not completely justified. Especially in the shake department. I've had way better shakes at many other places. I like mine very thick. Theirs was sweet and didn't hold up - turned liquidy quickly. A thin shake is pointless! You could just drink melted ice cream instead.

I wonder how places such as Shake Shack achieve messiah status? How do they get so insanely popular that people are willing to wait an hour for only moderately interesting food? Fascinating! Is it only possible in a big city like NY or does this phenomenon occur in small towns, too?

In any case, watching the queue was very entertaining. It always seemed to remain approximately the same length until nearly closing time. My friends and I couldn't help wondering if they try to keep the line long by slowing down if it gets shorter. I certainly noticed that the pace at which we moved when in line was not constant. We would sometimes move a lot at once and then not move a step for ages. Do you think an establishment would stoop so low to create hype? I'm cynical, so I think it's a definite possibility. Hey, bars and clubs do it so why not, right? But don't take my word for it - I don't want to be blamed for starting culinary conspiracy theories!

What's your favorite taste that teases?

Getting to know me

I'm sure you couldn't really care less about me if you're just stumbling into my fledgling project. Still, if you're going to be reading I suppose it's only fair that you know a little of my background and motivation. Let's set the stage, then.

Hello, world!

I recently got a (fairly useless in the "real world") grad school degree and am now back home with mom in good 'ol Queens, NY. Like a lot of other people my age I find that I don't quite know in which direction to next aim myself.

Meanwhile, I've been left with a fair amount of free time when I'm not involved with my ailing grandmother. Other than sleep, that free time has been filled largely with food - cooking, baking, grocery shopping, eating out, ordering in, Yelping, playing Restaurant Story, etc. No, that's probably not "healthy." I know.

CHOMP!

However, I've always liked to cook and eat. I've always liked making things, arts and crafts. I've always liked to write. It's only natural that I'd eventually turn to writing about food and creativity.

People in my life keep telling me to "do something with food." This is my answer to them. This is how I hope to find out if that's remotely the right direction for me. Thinking about food actively every day - can I do it and will I enjoy doing it?

So maybe this blog is somehow going to help me "find myself" in some way. Hahaha. Probably not! Honestly, I can't really tell you what exactly I'm going to blog about. I'm not sure. I can tell you it's certainly not going to be a blog about fine dining or whatever. Too broke! And of course Manhattan may appear, but it won't dominate. Because I'm 100% Queens, thanks. It's also not going to be heavy on detailed recipes. I'm more of a make-it-up-on-the-fly cook (and if you can get recipes from the likes of Jacques and Julia you really needn't rely on me).

Well, as far as I'm concerned, if it's about food how bad could it really be? ; )