On a chilly, wintry afternoon, I popped over for lunch with holistic nutrition counselor and Park Slope mom, Jennifer Schonborn. In her business, Jennifer counsels people so their food and lifestyle choices help them achieve their health and weight loss goals in a way that is flexible and fun.
Believe the hype! Today we had lunch at Calexico on Union St. in Brooklyn today and loved it. For once, I let everyone order what they wanted so there was a plethora of pulled pork. We had it in a taco, a quesadilla and a burrito. The child veered from the pig pack and had chicken quesadilla. We also ordered a small salad and a side of guacamole. Everything was delish on its own, but I had too much fun at the salsa bar and tasted them all. The only thing I did not care for was their infamous “Crack” sauce, but I am not a big mayo fan. Get a yummy peek on the video:
My NYC foodie fantasy came true: I spent a fall afternoon at the Union Square Green Market with author, culinary historian, chocolate tasting-tour expert, Les Dames Escoffier member and of course NYC mom, Alexandra Leaf. She answers my “NYC Food Tips From A New Yorker Who Really Cooks” questions at the end of this post. Check out Alexandra’s Chocolate Fest: A Walk-Around Tasting event on March 14th, at the 92nd St. Y (I’ll be there with a spicy chocolate fountain!).
Meal #22 of The Wandering Foodies 93 Plates project found Hagan and I enjoying breakfast at the Iris Cafe, a new cafe in Brooklyn Heights. One word: Delicious! It’s on the road less traveled: Columbia Place, but that street should get worn out soon by people trekking over to get divine raisin sticky buns, yummy ham and cheddar scones, homey soft boiled, farm fresh egg breakfasts with divine Surryano Ham (It’s spelled correctly!) and awesome oatmeal served up with the best tea I’ve ever had and the super sought after Stumptown coffee!!! We did not even try the sandwiches , but Liza de Guia, Food Curated’s story-teller and self-proclaimed food addict (@SkeeterNYC on Twitter) says they are to die for. So I deliberately did not buy the sticky buns so I could head back very, very soon and try them… and then devour more sticky buns!
Could you eat at three restaurants a day for thirty one days straight and blog about each meal? Hagan Blount aka The Wandering Foodie is ready, willing, able and doing it! Plus, he’s invited one NYC food blogger to join him at each meal and I had the pleasure this morning! We met on day five, plate thirteen of his 93 Plates project at the Roots Cafe in Brooklyn.
I had a bit of spare time and a lot of extra chocolate this holiday season so I started dipping and whipping up a storm of Xmas cookies. When I finally finished and I looked back at the boxes of over twenty types of goodies I’d made, the thought did cross my mind that I might need some sort of intervention. I also decided that next year, if I am feeling cookie compelled I would get some elves —if it’s good enuf for Santa… I shared them, I traded them, I gifted them and even had some hand delivered to Trinidad. Needless to say I spread them around and made a few folks very happy.
My mom learned this chicken curry recipe from Portuguese-Indian friends that lived next door to us on the Lower East Side in the land before time. It’s dead easy crowd pleaser.
